Death Goddess
by jokergirl2001
Summary: "Maybe I pissed Shinigami-sensei off too much," Naruto mused staring at his...no, her reflection in the river. She smiled slightly, "Question is, where exactly am I?" (time-travel shinobi war era)
1. Death's prologue

_**Rating**_ _ **T for language or mild suggestive scenes, may bump up to M. Depending on certain factors**_

 _ **This fic features : Strong!Naruto, Fem!Naruto, Characters gradually acting OOC thanks to Naruto, etc. Read and enjoy, write a flame if it's that bad, but I appreciate constructive criticism.**_

 _ **Disclaimer :**_ _ **Naruto is owned by a mangaka that goes by the name of...well, I forgot. Me? I barely even own my laptop.**_

"Speaking"

'Thinking/Thought Conversation'

 _Flashback/past memory_ (or emphasis)

 **Tailed Beast**

* * *

 _ **Chapter one:**_

 **Shinigami's Apprentice, at your service!**

* * *

Boredom.

That was what Naruto Uzumaki had to deal with ever since he became the God of Death's apprentice, which was maybe a century or two ago?

He really didn't know. Time just worked differently in the dimension he resided in. Heck, Naruto Uzumaki barely remembered his own name. If it wasn't for the Shinigami constantly calling on him he would have forgotten his name, just like he had forgotten his past.

He was sure there was a hidden reason behind him forgetting his past, because who could forget everything in the span of five decades? But what was the reason? Why did he forget his past? Why does he remember that he was a ninja, but not who his parents were? Why does he remember all his skills as a ninja, yet he can't even name the place he was born in?

With a tired sigh he looked at his reflection in the river, his blue eyes and his spiky blond hair were the only two things he was fond of. It was a wonder that the Shinigami had allowed him to keep his colorful features, but somehow he felt like one important feature was missing. Unknowingly his eyes darted to his cheeks, where unknown to him there were supposed to be whisker birthmarks.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

He gave his reflection a dashing smirk before it morphed into a neutrally innocent expression as he turned around to see a furious Shinigami floating towards him, seemingly ready to send his butt seven ways to the next decade.

He's only seen the Shinigami lose his calm two times, now three.

The first time was when Naruto accidentally misplaced the Shinigami's tanto in the living world. The second time was when he released a few spirits back into the living world for shits and giggles. And now because-

He almost snickered seeing the rainbow color that was now the Shinigami's hair, instead he allowed his eyes to widen in surprise, "Your hair, it's, it's—"

The Shinigami glared at Naruto, "As if you didn't know," he accused.

"—hilarious! Who did it?! Was it Kuro? Mirai?" Naruto threw his head back in laughter.

"I should have never accepted the deal," the Shinigami grumbled glaring at Naruto, who seemed out of breath.

Naruto didn't know what the entity meant with the deal, but he knew he wouldn't get any answers either. So instead he just grinned, "Because you love me~" he teased.

"No, it's because you're an Uzumaki, though it was hard to believe the first time with your lack of any Uzumaki like traits or technique," the Shinigami seemed a bit smug, but Naruto had to squint to notice.

"Hey! At least now I've mastered all my Uzumaki skills!" Naruto protested, crossing his arms defensively.

"It took you a century," the Shinigami deadpanned.

"T-that was because, I, uh, have a learning problem!" Naruto defended.

"Or rather you were busy messing up with the after life as usual," the Shinigami stated.

"Ha! Admit it, the after life was dull without me, you were probably dying of boredom, but then the super awesome Naruto Uzumaki, strongest _man_ to ever roam the living world came and everything became entertaining!" Naruto proudly pointed at himself.

"You know, I never should have allowed the Uzumaki the right to summon me. Nor should I have became their close allies."

"But you did."

"Because Uzumaki souls are delicious."

"Yet you didn't reap mine."

"Sadly, it's against the rules for me to do so."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Why?"

"Because you're not dead," the Shinigami answered as if it was the most obvious thing.

Naruto's eyes bulged out in surprise, "WHAT?! Oi, what do you mean I'm not dead?! I've been reaping souls for a century or so now, and I'm still a kid!"

"You already know that time works differently in this realm."

"Then why am I in my kid body?"

"It's because this is the form you liked most before your contract with me, if I recall correctly it's because your days as a Gennin were the most precious to you," the Shinigami patiently explained.

Naruto was dumbfounded. What was a anyways? Who would be comfortable with being a kid? "How old was I anyways?"

"Six yeasr after the Fourth War, so you were in your early twenties," the Shinigami answered.

"Why would a twenty year old man ever agree to sell his soul to a Shinigami?" Naruto pondered, not seeing himself as the person whom made the contract with the Shinigami.

"He didn't sell his soul," the Shinigami informed.

"What?!" Naruto yelled turning back towards the Shinigami.

"Though I agree that it was rather dumb of him, he agreed to be my apprentice in order to reap four million five hundred thousand three hundred and ninety four souls."

"What's up with that impossible number?" Naruto deadpanned.

The Shinigami shrugged, "Remember it yourself Uzumaki."

"Heh, my memories are lost," he looked up at the grey sky with a longing look, "This place is so boring. So dead."

"Well, it is the afterlife," the Shinigami pointed out.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed in agreement looking back at the Shinigami. He couldn't resist himself as he broke out into a fit of laughter.

The Shinigami twitched, "With that being said, centuries have passed and you're almost there. Five hundred thousand more to go."

"Wha? It'll take me a whole century to complete that amount!" Naruto whined tackling the Shinigami into a hug.

"Let. Me. Go."

"Sure!" and with that Naruto took off with the Shinigami's weapon.

"GET BACK HERE UZUMAKI!"

* * *

"Eh, sorry?" Naruto mumbled sheepishly.

"You ruined the after life," the Shinigami stated looking over millions of souls which Naruto had just released into their realm.

"...it was an accident?"

"You sliced open the soul jar with _my_ weapon."

"Well, how should I have known what that the jar was holding the nastiest souls ever?"

"I told you billions of times that the jar was dangerous."

"I thought you meant fun."

"..."

"..."

Finally the Shinigami grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his orange kimono ,"I have been patient with you for years on end, forgiven you for countless misdeeds, but this? This is something I cannot tolerate."

Naruto gulped, even though the Shinigami wasn't yelling the aura surrounding the death reaper was unbearable.

"I'm sorry."

"If sorry could fix things, then there wouldn't be any need for the soul jar."

"I didn't mean to—"

"I know you didn't mean it, just like you don't mean to do anything else! The problem is you don't think about your actions nor how they affect others around you, you only think about relieving your boredom."

Naruto looked down in shame, "I'm—"

"Save it, I should have been wiser and expected an Uzumaki to not handle peace and quiet well."

"...I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. You're just saying that you are, but you don't really regret your actions, do you? You don't have any idea what the word responsibility means."

"I do too!"

"Well, you have a nice way of showing it."

"...you're right. I'm not responsible, especially not when it comes to being your apprentice, but so what?! It's not like you ever trust me to do anything on my own, you're always doubting me or undermining my skills when you know perfectly well that I could beat your ass!"

"...you lack humbleness."

"I lack everything! Past, memories, sense of identity, happiness, family, friends and a dream! I have _nothing._ "

"But you chose it yourself."

Naruto snapped his mouth shut at that. "Whatever, are you gonna beat me senseless? Throw me into the Void for a decade? Chain me in Hell? Or maybe make me take a Shinigami quiz?"

"None of those will please neither of us, so instead I'll make you entertain me and all the other death reapers from the living world. In a mortal body as a ninja."

Naruto's eyes widen, it wasn't like he had never been to the living world, but for a long period of time? That was new!

"Finally, old man! Thanks!"

"Oh, don't thank me," the Shinigami allowed a devious smile to curl up his features.

 _'One thing I learned from serving the Uzumaki for years is that revenge is best served in an unusual presentation.'_

"I hope I don't ever see you again Naru-chan," he stated before throwing Naruto in a pond.

* * *

" _And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody. Somebody important!_ "

What was a Hokage anyways? A fire shadow? Who the heck would wanna be a shadow? Regardless Naruto was glad to know that he had a dream once, but he knew that when he wakes up he'll forget these words that were most likely spoken by himself.

 _'Being important, eh? A dream like that sounds nice.'_

" _Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want! You're not gonna scare me off! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!_ "

Maybe his past self wasn't all bad, seeing as the past Naruto had the balls to defy authority and still expects to become a leader.

 _"I'm not gonna run away, I never go back on my word! That's my nindō: my ninja way!_ "

Honestly, Naruto wanted to snicker. What kind of ninja was foolish enough to stick my a moral code that forces him to be truthful? Apparently him.

" _It's almost unbearable, isn't it… the pain of being all alone. I know that feeling; I've been there, in that dark and lonely place, but now there are others, other people who mean a lot to me. I care more about them than I do myself, and I won't let anyone hurt them. That's why I'll never give up. I will stop you, even if I have to kill you! They saved me from myself. They rescued me from my loneliness. They were the first to accept me as who I am. They're my friends._ "

An unbearable pain pounded at Naruto's guts, for some reason he really didn't mind forgetting the "loneliness" his past self had felt. But, then again he's been lonely for centuries now, yet he had a feeling that the loneliness he's been feeling in the last century couldn't compare to the past him's loneliness.

Friends. That word has a nice ring to it, maybe he'll find some "friends" one day.

What did friends mean anyways?

 _"Just give up… on trying to make me give up!_ "

Heh, he couldn't have said it better himself. Even the Shinigami gave up on making him give up years ago.

" _Then I will break that curse. If there's such thing as peace, I will find it. I won't give up!_ "

Finding peace, eh? That sounded like a nice ambition.

" _If you attack Konoha, I will have to fight you… So save up your hatred and take it all on me, I'm the only one who can take it! It's the only thing I can do! I will shoulder your hatred and die with you! Because I'm your friend!_ "

What was a "Konoha" anyways? And no thanks, Naruto dealt with enough hatred filled spirits, he wouldn't want to willingly shoulder someone else's hatred. And he was sure that if being "friends" meant shouldering the other's hatred, he didn't understand people as much as he thought. Because being friends sounded too much of a hassle if you ask him.

" _Don't apologize… I had a lot of hard times growing up as a jinchūriki, but I never blamed you or Dad. I couldn't understand what a parent's love was like because you guys were never there… so I could only guess… But now I know… I live because you and Dad gave your lives for me and filled me up with love before the Nine-Tails was inside me! So here I am, happy and healthy! I'm glad I ended up being your son!_ "

What was a jinchuriki? So...does that mean he was an orphan? 'Cause that sucks. Would he really be glad to be the son of two parents that were never there for him? It didn't sound appealing in the slightest.

His eyes gazed towards huge green gates, a group of people he couldn't recognize for the life of him grinning at him giving him a warm feeling. Yet he didn't want to go to them, he didn't want to wake up...and forget them all over again. It was too painful.

 _"Welcome back, Naruto."_

 _"Naruto-nii-chan!"_

 _"Naruto-san."_

 _"N-naruto-kun..."_

 _"Naruto."_

Without his consent his feet rushed towards the group, a wide smile overcoming him as he yelled: _"I'm_ — _"_

* * *

"BACK!" Naruto yelled sitting up quickly.

He then sighed, "What was that about?" he questioned his own actions as he yawned, "Must have been a dream of the past or something," he concluded to himself lazily eyeing his surroundings.

His eyes landed on a frog that had the audacity to stare at him.

"Oii, what are you looking at, stupid?" he asked it.

Centuries ago he might have forced himself to stop acting crazy, but now? Craziness was a nice distraction. Before he could blink the frog sprang away. Naruto twitched. "How dare..." he growled running towards the frog.

His legs felt odd, a bit stiff, but manageable if he applied chakra. Centuries of boredom really helped out with his chakra control. Grinning gleefully at the feel of the wind brushing his hair he sped up, eventually passing the frog and making sure to stick his tongue out at the confused creature.

"Now first things first, gotta find some water. I smell bad," he scrunched up his nose in disgust at himself.

It didn't take him long to find a small yet deep river hidden deeply within the forest. Without any reservations he stripped out of his orange kimono and jumped into the river with a childish yell of: "Cannonball!"

After sticking his tongue out at some fishes he swam back up to the surface taking in a fresh breath of air, his sensory skills informing him that there weren't any humans near him and that he was only surrounded by nature and animals. Maybe he'd go hunting later seeing as he probably had to eat now that he had a more mortal like body.

Speaking of which...

He looked down.

"Sorry!" he squeaked in surprise seeing the image of a naked girl.

He turned around immediately covering his eyes.

Wait a minute, didn't the girl have blonde hair and blue eyes just like him? Uncovering his eyes he looked back down meeting the feminine face of a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, just like him. In fact she kinda looked like the form he took on when he used his sexy jutsu.

He frowned. She frowned.

Okay, now that was odd. (Because even centuries couldn't fix the blonde's obliviousness.)

It almost seemed like...no way, he snorted. There was no way that the girl was him. It was impossible, but then again nothing was impossible for a Shinigami.

He stuck his tongue out. She did the same.

He glared. She glared.

It was kinda funny really. He chuckled, she chuckled as well.

"Okay it's official," Naruto decided as he stared at his, er, her reflection, "Maybe I pissed Shinigami-sensei off too much," she mused in amusement as her eyes landed on her female assets.

Blood trickled down her nose, not to sound arrogant or anything, but she was good looking. Sure, some people could beat her in the look department, but damn, she was sure she'd give them a run for their money.

Where did the sudden vanity come from anyways?

Naruto slowly brought up her hands and groped herself, "Seems like I'm really female now," she concluded to herself giving her breasts a squeeze, "And these are soft."

When she let go she frowned a bit, "But kinda heavy and distracting, man I have more respect for women now. How can they bear this weight? And imagine how it would be like when I get..." the blonde trailed off palling a bit, "Maybe pissing Shinigami-sensei off wasn't such a good idea no matter how amusing it was at the time."

She looked up at the sky, the beautiful blue sky which was decorated with white cotton shapes, so...breath-taking compared to the lifeless grey sky in the after life. Being a girl was a low price to pay if it meant she could experience _this_. Not to mention being able to eat the countless foods she often saw, if she recalled correctly there was this noodle dish she felt oddly attracted to.

But...

"Question is, where exactly am I?"

Her nose twitched. She could smell it.

 _ **Death**_.

Ten kilometers to the North? Yes. A group of over twenty clashing with a group of over ten, it should have been a one-sided massacre but the group of over ten was holding their own pretty well. Their chakra signatures were rapidly getting fainter. Wrapping her black obi tightly Naruto set off towards the battlefield with a gleeful look. Violence wasn't something she liked, but she needed to collect herself some more souls.

And then maybe she would no longer be a death god, no longer attached to a red string connected by the Shinigami, she'd be free. The thought of freedom made her go faster.

When she arrived at the battlefield her face twisted into disgust and rage. There, in the middle of the clearing lay exactly twenty four corpses of children. It wasn't uncommon for Naruto to reap the souls of children, but it still made her mad every time. It's just too unfair, they didn't do anything wrong, they were just kids. Just children. They had a full life to look forward to, and it was taken away in under ten minutes.

Sadly Naruto couldn't do anything about it. Even if she had arrived in time, interfering would have dire consequences. Besides, now the kids could go to a better place. They deserved better after all.

Naruto had to swallow down a gasp at seeing a boy who seemed to be seven year old's eyes crushed with two separate souls.

"In the world of living, death is something that comes indiscriminately and randomly. So, there is no way to fight it." Naruto uttered the mantra that the Shinigami had taught her on the day she had to reap a baby's soul.

It didn't feel right to her for some reason, she felt like she was supposed to be fighting against those words she was saying. But for the life of her she couldn't remember why.

Her thumb brushed against her forefinger where a small seal was engraved before she placed her hand in her kimono to retrace a scythe. The handle was black, while the blade was a mix between red and orange. Without any hesitation she severed the string holding the children to the world of the living. She smiled sadly at the corpses hoping that the children would have a better life.

Letting her scythe go back to her personal pocket dimension she placed the bodies in a pile.

"Earth style : Earth Burial jutsu," she whispered into the open air not bothering with any hand seals.

For a second nothing happened, but then the dirt around the corpses shot up and swallowed them. Sparing a quick glance around the area just to be sure the Shinigami was nowhere in sight Naruto dropped on her knees and lifted her hands up into a praying position. With her eyes closed Naruto wished the children the best in the after life. Whether or not they were reincarnated was up to themselves.

"May your souls rest in peace, and may the sinners whom wronged you be repaid," it was a saying used by most reapers in the after life. It was with this saying that Naruto always ended her prayers for the souls whom passed on.

For a final touch Naruto brushed her thumb against her wrist, her hands then went to the sleeves of her kimono and she pulled out a single black rose. It was her calling card and a little signal to let the other reapers know that she was the one who had reaped these souls.

But even as she leaped away on auto-pilot when she sensed other signatures coming towards her there was one thing that plagued her mind. It was the symbol that those kids had. In her opinion it looked like a funny fan. But there was something about that fan...

" _I'll admit it. I… lost._ "

The voice made Naruto come to a total halt, it was just so familiar. It brought her a warm feeling inside, like she knew the one who spoke those words. But who?

" _I don't look to the future any more. Only the past._ "

Past and future? What was the difference anyways? They're both connected. Both shape you into someone by the end of the day. Why was the two important anyways? To her, it didn't matter. But maybe that was because she didn't have a past nor a future.

" _Just shut up for once! What the hell do you know about it?! It's not like you ever had a family in the first place! You were on your own right from the beginning, what makes you think you know anything about it?! Huh?! I'm suffering now because I had those ties, how on earth could you possibly understand, what it feels like to lose all that!_ "

Her stomach clenched uncomfortably at those words. It wasn't like she didn't want a family. It wasn't like she wanted to be all on her own. She's suffering exactly because she doesn't know what she did to deserve this. She wanted a family. A mother to braid her hair, a father to pat her head when she did something good and maybe even a brother. She wouldn't say that she knew how it feels to lose her family, but she knows how it feels like to wish they were with you.

" _While it's true I once desired destruction… and the only goal I had was revenge… things are different now. Because that which is destroyed can always be fixed and rebuilt. Villages freed from the clutches and employ of darkness… what I desire is to reform the entire shinobi world! What I am calling for, what I am bringing forth… that is… **Revolution**._ "

A shiver overcame Naruto at those words before she suddenly felt a wave of awe. Did she really know someone strong enough to destroy a system as strong as the ones ninjas created? Revolution, it had a nice ring to it.

" _My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain someone."_

"Sasuke Uchiha," she repeated out loud, "My best friend!"

A grin overcame her. She didn't remember much, but she knew that this Sasuke person was once her best friend. Almost like a brother to her.

"But why did he have to restore his clan?" she found herself asking as she continued to leap from tree to tree.

* * *

 _ **Chapter End.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** what you think so far?_

 _Edited: 25/6/2017_


	2. Riverside days

_**Chapter Two :**_

 ** _Riverside Days_**

* * *

Naruto gave a sigh as she dodged another sword, "When the first try doesn't work out, try again. What should one do when they've tried over ten times?" she wondered out loud as she ducked down to avoid a kick.

The ninja wearing the Hagoromo clan symbol growled in annoyance, "Kids like you piss me off!" the teenager declared.

"I just asked a simple question!" Naruto squeaked jumping away to avoid a hurricane of shuriken.

The teenager narrowed his eyes at her, "You think I'm stupid? Who the hell would believe a kid who managed to avoid every single trap I set and walked up to me while I was eating to ask something so stupid? You were obviously trying to make me drop my guard!"

Naruto sighed, "But I'm just a kid! Do you really expect a kid to be skilled enough to kill someone twice their age?!" she yelled in annoyance.

The teenager hurled more shuriken towards her, "I've seen younger bathe in the blood of my clan members!" he growled leaping towards Naruto.

"I've tried to be nice!" Naruto snapped going into the sleeve of her kimono to produce a kunai, "But," she deflected the shuriken before they could hit her, "Desperate times calls for desperate measures!" and she leaped.

It happened in less than five seconds.

The blonde rammed into the teenager making both fall down, her left hand grabbing the sword before it could pierce her neck as she placed her kunai at the teenager's throat.

Both went tense as they stared each other down.

"Answer the question," Naruto hissed releasing a tint of killer intent.

The teenager spit in her face,"Go die!"

"I said," with her left hand she broke the sword she was holding, "Answer. The. Question."

Killing intent was dancing around the two.

"We're in the Warring Era!" the teenager answered.

The killing intent immediately went away.

"Thanks!" Naruto gave him a sweet smile before leaping away.

The teenager could only wonder if that really happened. Because, honestly, who would go through all the trouble to avoid every trap just to ask what period they were in? And despite himself the ninja found himself commenting out loud: "Did she live under a rock or something?"

Regardless he damned sure wouldn't let anyone know that he pissed his pants because of a girl.

He did have his pride after all.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

Her senses could feel it. A vaguely familiar signature that for some reason made her want to rip apart a whole forest as a warm up before destroying an ocean or something. It took all she had to hold down the killing intent she was starting to feel.

A pebble skipping over the river made her go back in tune with the nature surrounding her. Nature had always been something she loved after all, it was so relaxing and calming. Soothing even. Whenever she was feeling stressed she'd go into the living world and just sit on a tree, like she was currently doing right now.

Calmly she looked down towards the river and saw a boy. Maybe a year or two younger than her? She wasn't too sure. He had black hair from what she could tell, and he was currently struggling with skipping pebbles. At the funny sight she allowed the lingering desire to kill the boy flee from her.

Killing others wasn't something she was opposed to, but she'd prefer to have a concrete reason instead of just relying on her instincts, no matter how good they were.

"Ugh! I'll reach the other side!" the boy declared throwing another pebble, which didn't make it halfway across the river.

Naruto jumped off the tree landing exactly next to the fuming boy, "It won't make it if you don't calm down," she lectured softly. It was nice to see kids acting their own age instead of, y'know, killing others and stuff.

The boy jumped whipping his head to face her, "Who are you?" he tensely asked.

"Me? I'm no one important."

Naruto didn't mind telling him her name or anything. But during the warring era it was common to not give your name, right? Or was it your last name?

"You're a shinobi." It wasn't a question, more like a statement.

"I have the same skills as a shinobi, but I don't really consider myself one. I don't even know _what_ exactly a shinobi is. Sure, they go around doing missions, but is that all there is to being a shinobi. Pointless killings, going to war against others and dying just to fuel more sparks of war? If that's so, then I'd rather not be known as a shinobi."

The boy looked at her with something akin to understanding before huffing, "You're weird."

"Who's the one who was talking to himself earlier?" Naruto shot back as she crouched down to pick a pebble.

"...hn."

Chuckling Naruto threw her pebble slowly, and in a lazy motion the pebble reached across the lake, "Going slow and steady sometimes gives you quite the advantage, eh?" she questioned looking back at the open mouthed boy, "Why are you here anyways?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"To think," the boy answered.

"About?" Naruto prompted.

"Why are you here?" the boy avoided the subject.

"I was just walking around," Naruto shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be in your clan's compound?" the boy asked not so subtly eyeing her breasts before looking at her in her eyes.

Naruto had to fight off that tick mark on her head. Really, sexist much? In Naruto's opinion gender didn't matter when it came to being a ninja. All that mattered was your skills and surviving.

"I don't have a clan or anything fancy like that. I'm what one would call an orphan, or a wandering mercenary."

She decided to stick to the close truth.

She didn't belong to the Uzumaki clan of this era, she didn't have a family and she was planning on making money by doing missions.

"You live all alone?" the boy asked in surprise.

"Well, unless you consider the frog that follows me around for no reason a companion, then yes, I live all on my own. Prime example of being independent, tteba..." she trailed off mentally warning herself to not use her verbal tic lest she wants someone to figure out her origins.

"Since when?" the boy asked.

Naruto shrugged in answer, "Can't remember," it was partially true.

Recently she had been seeing visions of her past. It was rather sad, especially the images of herself sitting on a swing while hearing everyone telling their kids to avoid her for no reason.

"I'm sorry."

"Ah? Don't apologize. It's not like it's your fault that I'm an orphan," Naruto waved him off.

"Yeah..." the boy agreed crouching down to grab another pebble, "My name's Madara."

Eh? Did the boy just break the warring rule of not identifying himself to strangers? Should she break the rule too? It'd be kind of like leaving Madara hanging if she didn't introduce herself. Yeah. But she can't introduce herself as an Uzumaki, god knows what would happen if rumors start going around about a girl with blond hair claiming to be an Uzumaki. So she'll have to use her other last name, right? The Shinigami told her it was from her father's side.

So with a grin she gave a mock bow, "Naruto Namikaze at your service!" she chirped before looking up.

She was met by the shocked expression of Madara, "You aren't supposed to reveal your clan name!" Madara quickly lectured giving her a punch to the head.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried out holding her head as she crouched down, "Why not? Namikaze isn't a clan or anything!" she protested.

"Oh."

Oh?

 _ohh?_

Without wasting a second Naruto returned the punch to the head, "Meanie!" she exclaimed, feeling smug as a bump formed on Madara's head.

"How was I supposed to know that Namikaze wasn't a clan?!" Madara shot back as he stood up crossing his arms.

"Any shinobi worth his or her salt would know every clan there is!" Naruto pointed out.

"You're not even a shinobi!"

"Did I ever say I was worth my salt?"

"Dobe!"

Naruto blinked at the nickname. Forgotten memories of her best friend returning slowly but surely as she yelled, "Teme!" and tackled Madara into the river.

She didn't know how, but a Taijutsu match had started at one point. Without voicing it out loud both agreed not to use Genjutsu nor Ninjutsu. Of course Madara complained when Naruto swiped some dirt towards his eyes or tried to poke his eyes. For some reason Naruto really liked aiming some cheap shots at his eyes.

The match ended with Madara laying flat on his back clutching his manhood in pain and Naruto laughing at his expense.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

Naruto didn't know why, but she decided to camp near the river and make it her base. Maybe it was because she wanted to see Madara again?

The boy made her feel like a kid. It was a good feeling, though annoying sometimes.

It was exactly when she was roasting some fish for breakfast that he came by again.

"Oh, you're still here dobe," was his greeting.

"Hmph! Just for that I'm not sharing my fish," Naruto pouted.

"I already ate," was Madara's smug reply as he sat on a log next to Naruto.

"Hey, who gave you permission to sit next to me?" Naruto jokingly asked, eating her fish.

Madara took a brief moment to stare in disgusted awe at the way Naruto inhaled the fish. "...you're not supposed to eat the bones."

"Duh, that's why I took them out before roasting the fishes."

Ah.

Maybe he had underestimated Naruto's cooking skills. Then again, he shouldn't be surprised considering Naruto was a female. Females were known for their kitchen skills during the war era after all.

"So, Madara? I'm sure you didn't come here just to look at me eat."

"I just had some free time on my hands."

"And you're not going to train? You pegged me as the type to train at every waking moment."

"Hn."

"Aww, come on. Don't be so secretive!" Naruto teasingly said as she poked Madara's arm with her stick, "You can tell me!"

"I think you're more secretive than me," Madara shot back as he grabbed his canteen to drink water.

Naruto gave him a flat look, "Who was the one who didn't give the other their last name?" and like that she knew she won the argument. Because between telling Naruto his last name or what he was really doing, it was obvious which one the boy would choose.

"I had a feeling you'd be here."

Naruto grinned, "And I had a feeling you'd come. Do you know what this means?"

Madara lifted his eyebrow, "What?" he asked and took a mouth full of water. Travelling from his compound to the river was a bit taxing, but it was worth it.

"We're destined!" Naruto exclaimed.

Madara did a spit take.

"My fish!" Naruto cried.

A red faced Madara turned towards Naruto, "W-what?" he sputtered.

"I said 'my fish!', you deaf or something?" Naruto asked, crossing her arms and momentarily forgetting about her fish.

"No, before that." There was now only a tint of pink of Madara's face.

"Oh! I said that we were destined! Think about it, why would we have met yesterday and both of us had a feeling that we'll meet again? It's obviously the world telling us to become friends! Don't you agree?" an excited Naruto asked.

Dumbstruck Madara nodded in agreement, this was the first time in history he was friend-zoned, usually it was him friend-zoning others. But he was glad that Naruto only saw him as a friend, otherwise things would have been too awkward.

"So as a symbol of our friendship we should do a blood ritual!" Naruto cheerily suggested.

"No."

"A jump in the river naked ritual?"

"Rejected."

"A drinking each other's spit ritual?"

"Disgusting."

"A cutting one limb of each other's ritual?"

"Too morbid."

"Shaking hands?"

"Too boring."

"Telling each other a secret?"

"Too girly."

"Hey! Oh, well. How about training together?"

Madara hummed, "Acceptable."

"Great! What's your signature jutsu?" Naruto curiously asked.

Madara tensed, "Classified."

Naruto crossed her arms with a pout, "Well mine's Rasengan!"

"Rasengan?" Madara echoed allowing himself to show his curiosity.

Nodding quickly, Naruto babbled an explanation, "My...eh Guardian, for lack of better terms, told me it was my father who invented it. It's super cool! And guess what?! Even the Sharingan can't copy it!"

"That's impossible! The Sharingan can copy anything!" Madara yelled in anger as he grabbed the collar of Naruto's kimono, "Anything!" he repeated. No way was he letting a foolish girl tell her that his clan's bloodline couldn't copy this jutsu she talks about.

Naruto stared at him in surprise, for a second she saw the face of Sasuke instead of Madara, "Sa...Madara? Calm down. You're hurting me," it took all she had not to lash out and break his jaws.

Madara blinked, his spark of anger fading as he noticed that he was standing up holding Naruto in the air and that Naruto's face had a purple tint to it. "Sorry!" he quickly apologized, shocked and angered at himself for losing his control.

Naruto hit the ground on her butt with a sigh of relief as her breathing became easy again. Being a mortal was hard. "It's...okay, no harm done," she said, waving Madara off.

Madara's face was so pitiful. A cross between looking ashamed, guilty and kinda like a kicked puppy. It was Naruto who should be looking like a kicked puppy, but, whatever, right?

Beaming up at him she asked, "Wanna see it?"

It was probably due to his guilt that he answered, "Yeah."

Grinning Naruto ran towards a tree motioning him to follow her.

Madara's eyes bulged out when a clone appeared next to Naruto while the girl didn't use any hand seals and..."Is it solid?"

"Un!" the clone answered for Naruto, "Boss here is a specialist when it comes to solid clones, but she sucks at the regular ones!"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed her neck and Madara wondered how someone who could make solid clones couldn't make the regular clones.

"Now pay attention Ma~da~ra!" Naruto said in a sing-song voice holding her hand out. Grinning from ear to ear her clone placed both hands on top of the hand and began doing rotating motions.

"No hand seals..." Madara mumbled in shock as a blue sphere began forming

"See ya boss!" the clone exclaimed disappearing.

"Pay attention Madara!" Naruto exclaimed running towards the tree, "Rasengan!" she called out.

Madara looked on in shock and awe as the huge tree now had gaping hole, his eyes looking between Naruto and the hole before locking on the grin Naruto had. He didn't need to Sharingan to read what Naruto had mouthed to him. "I told ya so."

"..."

"Like it?"

"..."

"Is it amazing?"

"..."

"Awesome?"

"..."

"Scary?"

"Yeah to all the questions," Madara eventually said.

"Ha! Imagine when I face an Uchiha, they'll be like 'My Sharingan can see through deception and copy everything' and I'll be all like 'See through this!' when I beat him I'll be like 'You rely too much on your Sharingan', cool, huh?"

"Hn."

He mentally noted to start training harder. The girl who seemed younger than him a technique that could beat the Sharingan, so he'll have to work harder in case there's other people like her in the field.

"Let's start training."

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

Naruto grinned from ear to ear on her sixth meeting with Madara. Why? Because Madara was hanging from a rope upside down a tree. It was hilarious and suspiciously nostalgic.

"Come on, if you can't even steal my scroll how do you expect to do well on a mission?" Naruto taunted.

"I'll have you know that I've completed more missions than most adults in my clan!" Madara growled cutting the ropes and landing gracefully on the ground, "You on the other hand are too fast!"

"You're just too slow," Naruto smirked, catching the kunai that flew towards her after the statement easily.

"I'm tired of this stupid game," Madara crossed his arms, "Let's train."

"Party pooper," Naruto mumbled under her breath, throwing the kunai back at Madara, "What's your affinity?" she asked.

Madara looked extremely hesitant.

"Come on, it doesn't matter to me which affinity you have or anything. Besides would you rather learn new techniques or learn nothing because of your insistence of not giving anything personal away?" her tone was serious for once, "I don't want you to die, so help me make sure you don't, please," she added softly.

With a sigh Madara answered with: "Fire."

"Okay, as for me? I've mastered wind, water and lightning affinity already," Naruto informed.

Madara's mouth dropped open slightly as he stared at Naruto, "You have thee affinities?"

"Five actually, and I can mix a few here and there."

"How?"

"I don't know, my memory's kinda hazy. Something to do with an old man?"

"...are you sure the Namikaze isn't a clan?"

"Positive."

* * *

-O.O.O.-

* * *

"Father?" Madara spoke up during dinner.

His two brothers silently sitting on his left and right paused in surprise. Madara wasn't one to openly talk during diner after all.

"Yes?" Tajima Uchiha, leader of the Uchiha clan asked.

"Have you mastered your elemental affinity?" Madara asked.

"Mastering an affinity takes years which due to the constant fighting has been impossible," Tajima answered with a statement.

 _'How old is Naruto? She seems younger than me, or maybe it's because she's so childish that she seems younger? But still, mastering three affinities while she's not even eighteen?'_

"I see, is it possible for a child to master an affinity at a young age?"

"Impossible."

 _'But that's the only explanation for how Naruto mastered three affinities.'_

"I see."

"Why the interest?" his father had always been a suspicious individual.

"On the mission I last took I saw a fellow clansmen doing an impressive display of our fire techniques, it had me wondering," he felt a bit bad for lying, but he was sure that his father wouldn't take a stranger like Naruto befriending him so kindly.

"Ah."

"One last question."

"Ask."

"Is there a Namikaze clan?"

"Namikaze? I've never heard of such a clan. They were probably killed off at one point or another if they ever existed."

"Ah."

And his younger brother Izuna was the only one who noticed the pity his eyes held as he ate a rice ball.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

It was on their seventh meeting, a week after their last one that Madara decided to try and master his fire affinity.

"So I have to make my chakra burn the leaf?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then I'm supposed to be able to gather the fire from your camp into a ball without burning myself?"

"Yes!"

"And finally I'll be able to enhance my weapons with fire?"

"If you're good you'll be able to do it with your melee attacks too."

"Hn."

"I'll be trying to master it too!"

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

A content sigh escaped Naruto as she bathed in the river, "The water is just perfect! You should join in!" she slyly suggested to Madara whom had turned around in order to not see her.

"N-no thanks."

"Aww, come on."

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not acceptable for a woman to bath with a man who isn't her husband."

"We're not married?"

"...stop fooling around."

"Ah? How did you know?"

"I know you."

"I miss the times when you'd turn red when I suggest something."

"Over time I developed an immunity towards your teasing advances and innocent advances."

"Innocent advances?"

"You're sometimes dense."

"Whatever, join me~"

"I'd rather not."

"I feel rejected."

"It's for your own good."

"But~ What if I told you that my husband is dead?"

Madara tensed, did Naruto really had a husband? It wasn't something uncommon for kids to be married off, but still..."How old was he?"

"Twenty seven."

Madara felt sick, "Did he ever touch you?"

"Nope."

His shoulders sagged in relief. Someone like Naruto doing things with older men didn't sit right with him, in fact he couldn't imagine Naruto in a relationship at all. Naruto was someone that couldn't be tamed. And men from this era didn't like that.

"He doesn't even exist," Naruto giggled.

"That wasn't funny," but Madara was glad she was just kidding.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

It was on their ninth meeting that Madara noticed something.

"You're always wearing the same clothes."

"Yeah, so? I don't have any money and I don't know where to go shopping."

"Hn."

The next day Naruto smiled in amusement seeing some clothes laying besides her tent. Obviously the clothes didn't have any symbol or anything. But she still made sure to tease Madara.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

On their eleventh meeting Madara came looking down.

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked, staring in concern at Madara whom was sitting near the river.

"Nothing."

Even without her sensory skills Naruto could tell that it was a lie.

"It doesn't seem like nothing to me," Naruto gently said sitting next to Madara.

"To everyone else it's nothing."

"Are you everyone else?"

"No."

"Then it's something important."

"It doesn't matter."

"If it's important to you, it's important to me too."

"Why?"

"Because we're friends. Friends lean on each other when they need support, so you should lean on me when you need me, and I'll do the same."

For a minute the two didn't say anything, but then a chocked sob escaped Madara. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise seeing Madara rub furiously at his eyes that were crying.

But then she knew what to do.

She wrapped her arms around Madara's shoulders before gently pulling him towards her shoulder making sure to murmur soothingly to him reminding him that she's there for him and that everything's going to be alright. She had a feeling that no one had ever done this for her, but she damned well will do this for her friend. It wasn't until later that she found out that the boy whom's soul she had reaped yesterday was Madara's younger brother Isana Uchiha.

* * *

-O.O.O-

* * *

"I'm going away for a month."

"Eh?"

"I have a mission."

Silence fell and the two didn't say anything for a long time.

Naruto furious that Madara's father would send another son out on a mission one day after his other son had died. She really wanted to give the man a piece of her mind. And she will. Eventually.

Madara simply because he didn't know what to say.

Eventually Madara had to leave to prepare for the mission.

"I'll see you later."

"Hn."

Because both knew they couldn't make the other promise not to die.

* * *

 _ **Chapter End.**_

* * *

 _ **Author's note:**...ah! Done!_

 _Edited: 25/6/2017_


	3. Promise of a duel

_**Chapter Three :**_

 **Promise of a Duel.**

* * *

 _"_ _One of the Legendary Sannin taking on a snot-nosed genin… I oughta be ashamed of myself._ "

 _"It's because to be Hokage… is your dream… isn't it Naruto? One last time… just one last time… I place the odds on you._ "

Ignoring the voice in her head Naruto continued to run through the forest. Words that played through her head meant nothing if she couldn't understand them nor know who spoke them.

They were simply there.

But lately she's been getting some of her memories back, mainly about about someone she used to call Iruka-sensei and connecting the dots she concluded that the man was her teacher once upon a time. Though judging by her memories of Iruka always chasing her it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that she gave the man a lot trouble.

It was sad that she couldn't really remember much about Iruka. He seemed like a great guy, what did he think of a troublemaker like her?

" _Stop acting like a baby! You want to know what I really think of you?! I think you're one of my most precious students… and… you're like a little brother to me._ "

A smile graced Naruto's features as she broke into a run. She had a mission to complete, namely to steal a scroll from some Senju squad that was out on a retrieval mission. If she recalled correctly there was a warning about one of them being a sensor.

But it didn't matter to her. After all, she glanced down at the blue crystal that was attached to the necklace around her neck, she could erase her chakra signature or pass off as a Senju.

Now how was it possible for one to erase their chakra signature?

Easy, Naruto was the apprentice of Death himself for centuries. She picked up a thing or two in stealth soul gathering.

 _'Or not,'_ she thought feeling one signature briefly flicker in alert.

Impressive.

But even if she was caught she wouldn't fail her mission. Even Death himself knew that Naruto Uzumaki didn't give up, she didn't run away because that's her...what? Her what exactly? Oh, well. Feeling a wave of mischief Naruto started humming an eerie tune once she was in the Senju squad's hearing distance. At the same time she conjured up five other clones, now it was six Naruto and six Senju.

Without meaning to Naruto started adding words to the song.

" _Deep, deep, through the forest~ The lambs hide from the pre~da~tor, never knowing there's no escaping."_

She sensed them tense and stood in a protective circle.

Her clone continued the song.

" _The lightning suddenly strikes, the tensed lambs jump in fright~_ " on cue a lightning bold tears through the sky and Naruto feels the six Senju's alarm.

Her second clone chuckles using the hiding like a mole technique to quickly get bellow the Senju while her first clone continued.

" _Surprisingly the lambs are rather prideful, choosing not to run...or maybe accepting death? Ah~ Who cares~ It just makes it easier! My will isn't like the earth, it can't be shaken~_ "

Naruto winced when her second clone blew herself up in order to make a small earth quake, but it was rather fun. Really exciting making six men so riled up.

" _Ah, they've fallen to their knees, beggin' for their lives~ The fleeting wind sending shivers through their spines!_ "

Naruto giggled but summoned a gust of wind towards the Senju squad, her clone knew how to have fun. She felt like a proud mother.

" _Drip-drip-drop, the sounds of rain pattering on the ground soothingly warms my heart~_ "

This time it was Naruto's third clone that focused her water affinity to produce rain.

Naruto softly sighed, this would probably tax her reserves a bit, but feeling a spike of fear through the Senju made it worth it. It wasn't common to make strong clans like them feel fear after all. Naruto jumped up as high as she could weaving through some hand seals.

" _As the rain begins to perish, I set fire to the rain._ "

"Fire style : Great Flame Technique!"

And she spat fire towards the Senju members whom all dodged.

She smirked.

It wasn't often someone could dodge her techniques.

"Protect the scroll!" one of the Senju barked.

Naruto stood leisurely in the middle of the burnt field eyeing the six Senju. They were all alert as they circled around her.

"Who sent you?" one questioned.

Naruto tilted her head to the side cutely, "What're you talking 'bout mister?" she purposely made her voice more high-pitched. She concentrated on her chakra trying to make it imitate the Senju's. The necklace she wore around her neck made it easier for her.

"Her chakra...!"

She blinked, mildly impressed that one of them noticed it so fast. Her eyes landed on a boy. Younger than Madara. White hair. Stoic. Kinda like the Senju version of Madara.

 _"Grown-ups are idiots. If they really want to bring an end to this endless fighting, they need to sit down with one another and reach a truce…"_

 _"Saru, you must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up to those to whom you can entrust the next generation… from tomorrow, you will be the Hokage…!"_

 _"My brother believed that the village was something that demolish the boundaries between clans. Well in the end it wasn't that simple… My brother was too soft… and Madara too dangerous… My role as Second Hokage was to mediate between them while protecting and reinforcing the village."_

Her eyes landed on the scroll at the boy's belt.

She licked her lips in anticipation.

"This will be fun!" she exclaimed dashing towards the boy with a kunai in her hand.

Her mouth curled up into a smirk when the boy deflected her kunai with his sword. She was impressed. Most wouldn't be able to block her attack without their weapon breaking or being pushed back.

"May I know your name?"

It's been a long time since she's had a good fight.

"Tobirama Senju," the boy surprisingly answered, putting some force.

"Tobi-kun, eh?" Naruto shortened the boy's name, she didn't like overly long names after all.

She saw the boy glance to his other clan members who were all occupied by her clones before glancing back at her.

"Those are solid clones."

"I praise your observation skills, Tobi-kun," Naruto sarcastically said.

"What's your name?" Tobirama asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Ah? Asking my name on our first meeting? How forward!" Naruto joked aiming a kick at Tobirama whom responded by sending a kick towards her stomach.

Caught by surprise that he chose to attack as well instead of dodging Naruto took the full force of the attack and fell on her butt.

Her eyes were wide in shock, but she managed to block Tobirama's sword with her kunai. She chuckled, catching Tobirama by surprise as she rolled away from him. Once she stood up she stared at the boy in front of her with renewed interest. A cough escaped her as she stared at the blood on her hand.

Her blood.

"It's been years since someone has managed to land a blow on me, I'm impressed. I'm happy. I'm excited!" she cried out in happiness flinging herself towards Tobirama.

Tobirama, of course, met her head on with his sword.

"What do you want in return?"

Tobirama's eyes narrowed, "Your death."

"I'm afraid I can't die yet, even if you do manage to stab me with your sword I may not stay dead," Naruto happily informed.

"Then leave."

"No can do~ Hey Tobi-kun, you're pretty strong. Almost as strong as Mada-kun, but he hasn't landed a hit on me yet, so you've got a lot of potential. It'd be a waste to kill you, and it'd just be cruel of me to kill your clan members."

"You're rather confident."

"Just stating the truth, so, I'll let you live. Train and get stronger and stronger and stronger until you can make me go all out, ne?"

Tobirama didn't respond, his eyes were glancing between Naruto and his knocked out clansmen. If he surrendered both him and his clan members will live, but if he doesn't? He didn't want to find out.

"Fine," he relented.

Before he could blink a pair of lips were on his own.

It was brief, maybe only lasting three seconds. But he could've have died if his enemy wasn't serious. Damn, he needed to get faster.

But in his shock he could only stare at the blonde's grin.

"Then it's a promise! The remembrance being your first kiss."

How did she even know that?

"What's your name?" he asked instead.

"Naruto Namikaze."

Fish-cakes.

What an odd name.

* * *

 _ **Chapter end.**_

* * *

 ** _Questions:_**

 ** _1\. What do you think of Tobirama?_**

 ** _2\. Favorite Senju?_**

 _Edited: 25/6/2017_


	4. Mercenary For Hire

_**Chapter Four :**_

 ** _Mercenary For Hire_**

* * *

"Welcome back nii-san."

Madara gave his little brother, Izuna, a tired smile, "I'm back little brother."

Izuna returned his older brother's smile with his own bright smile, "I take it the mission was a success," he noted as the two began walking towards their house, "Nothing less expected from you nii-san," he added.

It was a commonly known fact in the clan that Izuna Uchiha idolized his older brother Madara Uchiha.

"The others did help too," Madara pointed out to his little brother, despite his ego being lifted up with the praise.

"I'm sure you did most of the work," but as usual Izuna refused to see his older brother as anything but amazing.

"Hn," and as usual Madara's ego was getting higher.

"Has anything new happen while I was away?"

Izuna's face morphed into a thoughtful one, "A few more clansmen were killed because of the Senju clan, father has received an offer from the Hagoromo clan to wed the leader's daughter with one of us," Izuna's face had a scowl at this point "And a few missions of ours were failed because of that damned mercenary."

"Mercenary?" Madara repeated.

"Hn, a solo mercenary for hire going by the nickname _reaper_ , hasn't failed any missions he's given and is gaining a reputation as the Orange Flash," Izuna listed off, "Of course father hasn't really looked into the reaper yet, but some of our clansmen kept their ears out and heard some things about this reaper. Apparently no one knows how he looks like because of his orange cloak that somehow covers any distinguished features, the reaper stays away from any jobs that has to do with killing the members of the Senju or our clan. For some reason the reaper also stays away from the Uzumaki clan, but then again most do that. Also the reaper frequently delivers orphans to orphanages making sure to give those orphanages a hefty sum."

"Nothing else?" Madara asked.

"Well he's rumored to be a blond and has a high-pitched voice, almost like a girl."

Madara couldn't help but think about Naruto. Blonde hair and high-pitched tone. But that was impossible, this mercenary couldn't be Naruto, right? Even if Naruto was skilled Madara was sure she couldn't be _that_ skilled, but then again Naruto did say she mastered three affinities...

 _"I don't have a clan or anything fancy like that. I'm what one would call an orphan, or a wandering mercenary."_

It would explain why the mercenary would look out for other orphans, so maybe it was Naruto?

"Nii-san!"

Madara looked at Izuna, "Yes?"

"You weren't listening, I knew it," Izuna pouted.

"I'm sorry, I was just wondering about N...the reaper."

"You can probably take him on, nii-san!" Izuna proudly said, he was then taken aback by Madara's knowing look.

"I can't, the mercenary will wipe the floor with me."

What followed next was a long speech about how strong Madara was and how it was impossible for him to lose against the mercenary.

* * *

"Tobirama!"

Tobirama turned towards his father, his face as stoic as usual as he replied, "Yes?"

Butsuma met his son on with a stoic face as well, "Stop playing with your food," he sternly ordered watching as his son glanced down at the almost uneaten food before glancing at Hana Senju, the wife of Butsuma whom had an apologetic look.

"Forgive me," Tobirama simply said.

"What are you thinking about nii-san?" Kawarama Senju, the youngest of the four Senju siblings asked.

"Nothing," Tobirama answered.

"I can sense you lying, you know?" Kawarama had a smirk, despite being young his sensory skills were prodigious.

Tobirama sighed feeling all eyes on him, "The Orange Flash."

"Oh, the reaper, huh? Yeah, he's rather infamous right now," Hashirama joined in the conversation.

"I heard he took down ten members of the Kaguya clan on his own," Itama added.

Tobirama resisted the urge to correct them, the mercenary was a she not a he, but since he wasn't sure that the mercenary really was Namikaze. It would be bad for him if he gave information without evidence.

* * *

"Achoo!" Naruto sneezed loudly giving away her position to the enemy, "Damn it, somebody was talking about me. Probably my awesomeness," she smirked to herself, leaping away before a sword could stab her in the eye.

Oh, well. She had already stolen the scrolls needed.

So, she could just reap some souls, it wasn't like these men in front of her were worth much. They would have probably died anyways, what sort of idiots planned to kidnap the heiress of the Hagoromo clan anyways? It would have probably failed and ended in their deaths.

Summoning her scythe Naruto pointed it at them, "Time to reap."

In the blink of an eye four heads were on the ground, the bodies were burning with something that seemed like black flames.

"Amaterasu-sama doesn't appreciate those who tries to sabotage the clan she favors nor their possible allies," a whisper echoed in a mocking tone to those who angers the deities. Especially one as ruthless as Amaterasu, the sun Goddess.

* * *

 _"Where am I?"_

 _"You're in the after life."_

 _"Ah...am I dead?"_

 _"No, you're a special case Naruto Uzumaki."_

 _"Naruto? Is that my name?"_

 _"Yes child, you don't remember?"_

 _"No? Should I?"_

 _"It's not uncommon for one to forget their identity. Rest assured your memories will return once you've almost completed your mission."_

 _"My mission?"_

 _"Before coming here you made a deal with your clan's deity, the Shinigami in order to save the life of your precious friend."_

* * *

Naruto woke up feeling a cold metal on her neck, "Madara?"

"Hn."

Ah, he was still alive. That's a relief, but...

"This isn't how you wake someone up, you're supposed to shake them gently and if he or she is your lover you should kiss him or her," she chided lightly despite not understanding the words she spoke.

"Dobe."

She smiled tiredly, "Teme."

"You seem tired," Madara noted with a tint of surprise, after all Naruto always seemed like she ran on solar energy.

Naruto sat up with a yawn, "The last job was tiring, I had to stay quiet and be all stealthy. Boring."

"You're the Orange Flash." It didn't sound like a question, it was a statement.

"Oh? You heard of me then? Do I send shivers down people's spine?" Naruto teasingly asked.

"More like annoyance," Madara snorted.

"How rude, you're just jealous that I have a name and you don't," Naruto taunted.

"Not having a name is better than having one," Madara informed Naruto.

"Mn, not really. Having a name gives you more authority."

Madara thought back to his father, "Hn," he could just feel Naruto grinning in triumph.

"So, how was your mission?" Naruto asked.

"Just had to deliver some weapons, some bandits attacked but I took care of them," Madara shortly explained.

"That's my son, go get 'em!" Naruto joked trying to imitate a father.

Madara snorted at the poor attempt, already used to Naruto's antics, "More like, 'Hn', my father is a stoic man."

"How boring," Naruto bluntly stated losing her balance briefly, she closed her eyes as she fell on her back with a thud. "My stomach feels like crap, I feel like shit and there's a hole in my wallet thanks to how expensive things are."

Madara just sat down crossed-legged next to Naruto, "Maybe idiots really can get sick."

"I've never gotten sick before, so that's not it. It was probably because of ramen."

"Ramen?"

"Yeah, I might have made a town go rich by eating every and any ramen I could find."

"Dobe."

"I deserve that one."

"Hn."

"At least I have a mission to get rid of that hole in my wallet."

"Mission?"

"Probably going to be a boring one, I'm supposed to assassinate the heir of the Tengu clan."

Madara paused, the Tengu clan were a clan mostly known for the misfortune that follows one after coming into contact with one of their members. They were known for using ninjutsu in combination with their summoning crows and their mastery of the element of lightning. Simply put they were some dangerous folks, not more dangerous than the Senju or Uchiha, but dangerous nonetheless.

And why would Naruto tell him the exact content of her mission?

Was Naruto really that foolish? The dobe.

"Don't die."

"I can't."

Madara frowned at Naruto's knowing and bitter smile.


	5. By the river

_**Chapter Five:**_

 _ **By the River**_

* * *

"Go, go Mada-kun! If he can't do it, then no one can!" Naruto cheered, twirling around like a cheerleader.

She had to admit, being a fan-girl was fun. No wonder there were a lot of fan girls.

"This time, I'll reach the other side for sure," Madara mumbled juggling the stone in his hand.

Before he could throw it another stone was thrown towards the river, easily reaching the other side. Madara turned towards Naruto with a glare, "Hey!"

Naruto innocently blinked, "It wasn't me! It was him!" she pointed behind Madara, "The weird stalker!"

"I'm not a stalker."

Madara jumped in surprise, turning around to face a brown haired boy who appeared to be the same age as him, his onyx eyes narrowing on the brunette. "Stalker?" Madara repeated.

Naruto nodded quickly, "He's been observing us for the last ten minutes, if that isn't being a stalker then I don't know what is."

"Hn," Madara agreed.

"Oi, I'm not a stalker!" the kid protested loudly.

"Hey, it's okay. I'd stalk me if I were you, I mean look at these!" Naruto exclaimed groping her breasts, "They're so soft!"

The boy was blushing beet red, in his clan the females weren't so...active?

Madara however was deadpanning at Naruto, "Vanity is rather unsightly."

Naruto huffed, crossing her arms. "Don't think I didn't see you staring at your own reflection in the river earlier like some love-struck fanboy," she smirked as Madara averted his eyes.

Naruto, twenty. Madara, seventeen.

With a grin she turned towards the confused brunette. "Even though you're a stalker, you've got some mad skills in throwing stones, please tell us your secret, great stalker-sama!" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

But apparently the brunette was sarcasm-deaf, because he simply had a sheepish look, "You just have to aim it a little higher than you'd expect, that's the trick."

"I don't need you to tell me that. It will reach the other side if I put my all into it! Who the hell are you anyways?"

"He's stalker-sama!" Naruto answered for Madara.

"I'm just your rival at skipping stones, right now. Though mine has already reached the other side," the brunet ignored Naruto.

"I asked who you are!"

"It's Hashirama. I can't tell you my last names due to reason."

"Hashirama, eh? Watch, I'm gonna make it to the other side this time."

Naruto leaned in to whisper in Hashirama's ears, ignoring how the brunet tensed, "I bet that he won't."

Hashirama relaxed slightly, nodding in agreement as both watched Naruto throw the stone. Hashirama quickly realized that Madara way trained in the art of being a ninja judging by the raven hair's way of throwing.

"...and he missed!" Naruto concluded with a bright smile.

"Hey! You stood behind me on purpose to distract me!" Madara yelled pointing at a confused Hashirama, Naruto nodding next to the raven haired boy in agreement.

"Un, he's the type who can't even pee when someone's standing behind me. And trust me, I've tried," ah, how she missed a great opportunity to do an awesome prank.

Hashirama dropped to the ground, depression practically surrounding him, "S-sorry."

"Aww! He looks like a kicked puppy! Fix it!" Naruto sternly said pointing at Hashirama.

"Hey...don't take it so seriously..I was just making excuses," Madara mumbled, almost sagging in relief when the killer intent Naruto was oozing disappeared.

"I...didn't know that you had such an obnoxious self-diagnosed neurosis."

"I can't tell if you're a nice guy or a nasty guy!"

Doing a complete turnover Hashirama jumped up laughing. "One thing's for sure, I'm better than you at skipping stones!"

"Want me to skip you instead?!"

And he did another confusing mood swing dropping back to the ground, "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you. To make amends, I'll let you throw me into the river. Go ahead, throw me."

As Naruto moved in to throw, Madara stopped her, "You don't even notice your own obnoxious neurosis."

"G-guys..." a hesitant Naruto spoke up earning the two boys' attention.

Both's eyes widened slightly seeing Naruto's watered eyes, "I don't understand...what's a neurosis?"

"It's a mental illness!" Both boys hastily explained.

"A mental illness?!" Naruto echoed with tears streaming down her face, quickly bringing the two boys into a group-hug, "I'm s-sorry for being so insensitive! We'll find a cure together, okay? There's gotta be a cure! Or, or I can kill you and revive you again! Or we can do a brain transplant! There's just got to be a way to get rid of it!" she spoke quickly.

Both boys were sweat dropping not noticing that they were no longer tense.

"It's okay, I'm already taking medicine for it," Hashirama weakly said, playing along.

"M-me too," Madara agreed ruffling Naruto's hair slightly, "So don't worry, okay?"

Naruto sniffed breaking the group hug, "Really?"

The boys glanced at each other, "Really," they assured.

They almost sagged in relief seeing Naruto's watery smile.

 _'Men are always sucker for tears. Well, at least now I know what neurosis means.'_

"That's..!"

Naruto blinked as she watched Hashirama running towards a drowned corpse in the river, he easily used the water walking exercise to reach the body.

"Tha Hagoromo clan."

Madara tensed glancing at Naruto's blank face, _'This place will be a battlefield soon.'_ He quickly realized.

"I wonder if a fight's going to break out soon," Naruto mused, licking her lips, "It'll be really bloody, lots of dead people and loss."

Madara stared at the trance like state Naruto had.

Was it personal trauma?

"Naruto," he mumbled flicking the blonde's forehead.

"Yeah?" She mumbled back.

"You should get out of here."

"Eh? But I have nothing to do, I already assassinated the Tengu clan head."

"Then stalk Hashirama or something," Madara suggested.

Naruto's eyes practically twinkled at the idea, "Stalking a stalker? Exciting!"

Well, as long as she wasn't stalking him.

"You two should get away from here, this place will become a battlefield soon. Go home."

"Hashirama..." Naruto mumbled staring at the brunet.

"Sorry, but I've got to go," he jumped towards the other side of the river easily, "So long...uh," it was as if he finally realized that he didn't get their names that he stared at them.

"It's Madara."

He looked to the blonde.

Naruto grinned at him, "My name's Naruto Namikaze!"

 _'Is she serious?'_ Hashirama blankly thought as Madara punched Naruto in the head.

"Idiot!"

"Ouch, it hurts!"

"Then learn your lesson already!"

"If you keep hitting me, I'll forget each time!"

"Madara, Naruto, huh?"

The mentioned two stopped their arguing to look at Hashirama.

"Not professing one's family name is Shinobi law," Madara stated with a smirk.

"I knew it...you're a shinobi."

"Secretive idiots, shinobi are so overrated!" Naruto huffed, crossing her arms, "Bein' a mercenary for hire, now that's the life!"

Hashirama gave Naruto a small smile before disappearing.

"He's a weird one," Madara stated.

"I kinda feel sorry for him."

"Ah?"

"Didn't you notice? He smelled like tears. He probably lost someone precious to him."

"We live in war, losing someone is natural."

"But still, to be able to smile like that...he's probably strong."

"Hn."

Naruto cracked a cheeky smile, "He's cute, so you better be careful or he'll steal my attention from you."

Madara snorted as Naruto disappeared in a swirl of leaves, probably to go stalk Hashirama.

"For a mercenary, she likes using underhanded methods like tailing others silently. She'd make a good shinobi."

Oh well. Madara had to go train.

"And next time my stone will reach the other side."


	6. Smile

_**Chapter Six :**_

 ** _Smile._**

* * *

"Naru-chan!"

Naruto froze, not because she didn't know Hashirama was behind her, but because of the name.

It was too..eh..cutesy? Yes, too cutesy for her. It made her shiver. "Oi, don't call me that Stalker-kun," she stated. turning around to face Hashirama Senju. Oh, yeah she found out Hashirama was a Senju when she stalked him three days ago.

"Please stop calling me stalker," Hashirama pleaded.

Naruto crossed her arms with a devious look, "Then become my slave."

"No," Hashirama deadpanned.

"It was worth a shot," Naruto nonchalantly shrugged, "Anyways wanna train with me?"

Hashirama looked hesitant, "Train?"

"Yep, Madara's been prissy lately and won't fight me 'cause I always kick the stick further up his ass," Naruto grinned, "So I need a new victim."

"Rules?" Hashirama asked, although Naruto's a girl he knew that if Naruto really did beat Madara she'd be a challenge.

"Hmm, no Genjutsu. I hate Genjutsu. Everything else is fair game."

"Alright."

Hashirama jumped when another Naruto suddenly popped into existence wearing an elegant blue kimono, "Is it solid?" he murmured in awe, his eyes practically saving the image, not that sort of image, sick pervert, but the image of actually seeing a solid clone, "Where did you learn that?" he asked.

"From my family guardian."

Hashirama could sense that Naruto wasn't speaking the whole truth, but she wasn't lying either, so he nodded at her. "Namikaze isn't a clan though," he should know, he checked with his father when they had a private training session.

Naruto shrugged, "My father was a war orphan, so I'm not sure about anything that has to do with the family name Namikaze, all I know is that it's my right to claim myself as a Namikaze."

Hashirama let the information sink in.

"In this corner we have, the brilliant, amazing, Hashirama! And in the other corner we have the dashing, breathtaking, powerful, strongest woman, expert in various arts but master of none, she's Naruto Namikaze!"

Hashirama could only blink as even more Naruto's popped into existent, heck even seats appeared out of nowhere along with a stadium filled with Narutos, some male, some female. Some clones were dressed in devil girl costume and cheering loudly.

"The winner will receive the grand price of learning one secret of the other," the referee whispered dramatically to the crowd who all 'ooohhed.'

"Wait, what?" Hashirama sputtered.

"Did I stutter?" The referee grumbled, crossing her arms.

"A secret of the other, it seems fair, right? Or are you too scared? Giving up against a woman?" Naruto goaded on with a smirk.

"No way, I'm not backing down," A nervous Hashirama mumbled glancing around, "I'd like to treat this as a strategic retreat considering you're a powerhouse."

"Awww!" the audience consisting of only Naruto spoke in unison before disappearing.

"Waste of my money."

"And he calls himself a man."

"Che, I came all the way from the West."

Naruto chuckled at the comments her clones gave before disappearing.

"How are you even still standing?" Hashirama asked narrowing his eyes on Naruto.

Naruto yawned, "I just have big reserves, okay? We're all entitled to keep some secrets to ourselves."

Reluctantly, Hashirama nodded.

"Wanna start mastering your element?"

"Sure," Hashirama was sure Naruto knew what she was doing after all.

Naruto grinned at him, "Wow, you agreed easier than Madara did. Anyways, I'm going to teach you how to make a clone, you'll only make one until I say you can make more, okay?"

"Okay, but what does clones have to do with my element?"

"Solid clones are special, they'll help you master your affinity quicker, trust me. Wait and you'll see why."

Her chakra didn't give away that she was lying, only that she was telling the truth. But now that Hashirama thinks about it, Naruto's chakra distantly felt like Senju...very distantly. It was almost unnoticeable.

"Hey, Naru-chan? Do you know more about your family?"

Naruto blinked at him, "Tell me about yours first!"

"Uhh..."

"No need for clan name, besides I already know you're a Senju."

Hashirama tensed, his eyes widening, "How?"

"I followed you that day."

Hashirama couldn't help but feel cheated as his eyes narrowed on Naruto, how could her chakra still be so warm and welcoming after she shamelessly confessed to violating his privacy?

"Don't get your panties in a twist, it was just supposed to be payback for when you stalked me and Madara, but I ended up discovering a major secret, eh next head? Anyways, I won't tell Madara."

"..you won't?" Hashirama asked faltering slightly, how come the blond was being so cooperative?

Naruto nodded, "You'll tell him yourself eventually."

Hashirama's face morphed into confusion.

"After all, you can't consider yourself his friend if you can't even trust him with your clan name, and likewise he can't consider you a friend if he doesn't accept it."

Oddly enough Naruto sounded wise.

At first Hashirama thought Naruto was air-headed enough to give out her family name without any reserve, but in truth could it be that she considered herself he and Madara's friend so easily enough to give her last name? And here he was being suspicious of her when she had plenty of opportunities to kill him or exploit his status, yet she merely welcomed him in her group consisting of her and Madara, and she merely cheered him and Madara on when they would spar.

"My mother is ill, and thus she stays mostly in her room, but she likes to stroll in the forest from time to time," Hashirama began speaking, "My father is strict, I disagree with most of his beliefs, but at the end of the day he is still my father. Only two of my brothers are still alive, Itama and Tobirama. Tobirama's a bit of a loner, but he's a bit of a mother hen too. Itama's...he's slowly beginning to think like my clan does," here Hashirama sighed heavily.

Naruto luckily didn't press on, "I have amnesia, so I don't remember much. All I know is that my father's side was completely Namikaze, and my mother came from a clan."

Hashirama nodded at the short story, "Does-"

"No, Madara doesn't know. I want to tell him myself, okay?"

She kept his secret, so he'll keep hers. "Okay."

"Is Tobi-kun training hard?" Naruto asked with a mischievous tone.

"Who?"

"Tobirama"

Hashirama was confused at the question, but he nodded anyways, "He's been working on his speed and ninjutsu more lately."

Naruto seemed to perk up, "And his Kenjutsu?"

"He's up all dawn practicing," Hashirama automatically answered, "How do you know he practices Kenjutsu?"

"Silly, I'm Tobi-kun's rival."

"...and I'm an Uchiha," Hashirama blankly added.

"You are?!" Naruto gasped in surprise.

Hashirama could only facepalm, "It means I don't believe you."

"Just tell Tobi-kun that Naruto says hi, okay?"

Hashirama nodded, not like it would kill him if he did something simple like that.


	7. Vixen

_**Chapter Seven:**_

Vixen

* * *

"Oi, what are you doing?"

Naruto didn't even jump in surprise as Madara crouched down next to her, his hair clinging on to his still sweating face. His shirt had been discarded, and even though he was a kid it was obvious that he was in good shape and that his body will become drool worthy in a few years.

"Oh my Pein, you smell bad!" Naruto bluntly said, her nose scrunching up in disgust.

"Pein?" Madara echoed.

Naturo had to bite back that wince as the memory of a single man destroyed what appeared to be a village with one technique. Honestly Naruto was a bit scared, there was someone out there that could be stronger than her. "Just someone who thinks he's God." Naruto remembered that much, but she knew there was still some details she was missing.

"Hn." It seemed like Madara didn't have anything to add.

"But to answer your earlier question, this is a summoning contract for crows," Naruto changed the topic, she didn't want Madara knowing about her memory loss just yet.

"Isn't that the Tengu..." Madara trailed off, Naruto could see realization dawn the boy.

But she nodded anyways, "It didn't have an owner anymore so I picked it up," Naruto carefully kept out the fact that she pried it off of a corpse after sending the Tengu clan members' souls away.

"Hn."

Naruto sighed, "You're not really one for conversation, are you?" She asked as she opened up the scroll.

"..."

Feeling a sudden arrow of mischief hit her, Naruto gave an even more prolonged sigh, "If only Hashirama was here..."

"Hmph, we don't need him to train," Madara stated.

Naruto had to resist the urge to smirk, "I need him," she corrected, forcing a longing look on her face, "I feel safe with him."

She could feel Madara's chakra spike up a bit in anger at the statement, "I can protect you better."

Naruto wanted to snort at the childish statement, but she recalled a line from a book she once read. Icha icha? She couldn't remember the name of the book, but she could remember a scene in it.

"He knows how to make me feel like a girl," the woman had said.

Then the man had pinned her down to the ground, her kimono falling a little open at the front exposing her cleavage, her eyes half lidded and her mouth pursed close.

The same had just happened, only Naruto's eyes were opened in surprise.

"He makes you feel like a girl? I'll make you feel like a woman," Madara's voice was strangely low.

Naurto blushed a bit, feeling weird. Though, she was never one to be stuck in surprise forever.

"Ah~! It was just a joke, you know? No need to get so defensive!" Naruto stuck her tongue out.

As if finally noticing what happened Madada flushed a bit, aiming to get up only to lose his balance and fall head first into Naruto's breasts.

"Oh? Madara, you naughty boy~!" Naruto teased, although even her face was a bit flushed. She would never admit it, but what Madara had said earlier had aroused her a little.

She would die the day she admitted that though. Idly she started playing with a shell shocked Madara's hair. She knew that he had fallen into shock, so why not make the most of the situation by braiding his hair? Heehee, she'd never stop pranking people.

Naruto herself wanted some breasts to bury her face in. The feeling was awesome after all, and trust Naruto she knows. Decades of going to the living world and visiting the brothel in her free time back when she was male. Sometimes she'd even switch it up and transform into a girl. She didn't know why she was so perverted, but she didn't plan on getting rid of that aspect of herself.

"Ne, how long are you going to stay like that?" She teasingly asked after she finished braiding the boy's hair.

* * *

Hashirama sighed as he rubbed the still aching bruise on his shoulder. Naruto really did know how to pack a punch after all.

Speaking of Naruto, he felt a bit bad about not going to meet up with her and Madara, but he didn't want his father getting suspicious. And his mother to constantly worry for his safety.

Getting rid of the thoughts that would only make him think of negative stuff he decided to ask Tobirama for a spar and maybe even pass along Naruto's message. He owed her at least that much for training him. He hoped to one day become her equal.

Without a second thought his walk turned into a walk towards the training grounds he knew Tobirama would be at, as smart as Tobirama was, Hashirama would say he's a bit predictable if you knew him.

As usual Tobirama was in the middle of the clearing practicing his Kenjutsu. Hashirama knew that his brother will one day surpass him in the art of swords.

Hashirama let a smile graced his features, "Tobirama!" He called walking up to his brother despite knowing that he already knew he was there.

"Hashirama" his brother greeted back easily, not even pausing in his training.

"I was wondering if you wanted to spar?" Hashirama asked.

"Let me finish up," Tobirama grunted out.

Hashirama's smile widened, "Oh, and Naruto said hi."

The older Senju could only bink as his normally stoic brother's eyes widened, accidentally cutting himself with his sword and seemed to lose his balance.

With a speed Hashirama was sure defied the laws of nature Tobirama had turned towards him, his face a mix between anger and embarrassment.

"Explain." Tobirama's voice was low.

"There isn't much explaining, Naruto just said hi." It seemed like Naruto really did know his brother.

"She didn't say anything else?" Tobirama asked, almost seeming desperate.

"She said you two were rivals," For some reason Tobirama had slumped in relief, making Hashirama wonder if there was more to the story. He would have to ask Naruto next time.

"Tch, she's an idiot and delusional. As if a woman would be my rival," despite what he said Tobirama had a small smirk, it seemed like Naruto was as serious as he was about their odd rivalry.

"A strong idiot," Hashirama cheekily corrected.

"Indeed," Tobirama agreed.

Hashirama could literally hear Naruto correcting him. "I'm no mere idiot, I am a SUPER idiot," she would shamelessly say.

Both Tobirama and Hashirama wondered what Naruto was doing now...

* * *

Naruto sneezed, "Looks like Shinigami-sensei was right, I can't meditate to save my life," she murmured with a yawn.

It was nearing sunset now, and she supposed it was time for her to-

"I don't have time to make a feast for the boy!"

"He's not staying long anyways, Ma."

Naruto blinked at the two frogs..er toads? That appeared out of nowhere. She could only stare as the two bickered about diner.

"It's common etiquette to invite a guest over for food!" The female one yelled.

"He's not our guest," the male one pointed out.

Naruto coughed to earn their attention, "Am I interrupting your lover's spat?" She bluntly asked in a sheepish way.

The male seemed relieved for her intervention while the female seemed ashamed.

"No, no, excuse us for our lack of manners!" The female apologized.

"Eh, don't worry about it miss. I'm bot exactly miss manners myself," Naruto joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

It seemed to work at the female toad smiled at her.

"Wait, we were supposed to appear near Naruto..." the male one suddenly realized.

Naruto tilted her head to the side, almost looking like a confused dog, "I am Naruto," she informed them.

"Eh? B-but Naruto's supposed to be a boy!" The female one protested.

The male seemed to accept it though as he sighed, "Looks like the old sage really is senile."

Naruto didn't bother telling them that she was originally a boy. "So what do you want with me?"

"We need you to sign the toad contract and come with us."

Naruto would have joked if the two didn't seem so serious about their request. "Maa, I have nothing better to do anyways."

* * *

Izuna Uchiha couldn't help but notice that lately his big brother has been more distracted. It was't obvious, but it wasn't hard to notice if you were like Izuna who paid attention to his brother's well being.

Sometimes he noticed his brother coming home with bruises, never telling a soul how he got them. Sometimes his brother would mutter things about being better than someone. And other times his brother would come home a bit flustered. Suffice to say Izuna was both confused and curious.

Even more so when Madara's opinion on women needing to stay home had started fading away slowly but surely. Like anyone else Izuna had suspected that maybe his brother met someone? That was the only way to explain Madara's sudden subtle change.

But that wasn't possible was it? Yes, impossible. Izuna discarded the thought away.

He couldn't imagine his brother fancying anyone, his brother would probably end up in a loveless arranged marriage, as sad as that sounded.

Now however Madara seemed more flustered as Izuna walked next to him. Madara's face constantly darkening red before returning back.

It would have been amusing on anyone else, but this was Madara. It just seemed wrong.

Even Izuna would say that the image of his brother blushing was wrong. And Izuna was usually a total fanboy for his brother, so that was saying something.

But something that had been bugging him since Madara arrived was..."Nii-san, is that a new hairstyle?"

His brother seemed to pause, "Huh?"

"Your hair."

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's braided and has flowers in it."

His brother's eyes widened before a dark aura surrounded him, "That damn vixen!" His brother hissed before storming off.

Izuna blinked, a vixen is a female fox so...

 _'It really is a girl...'_ Izuna thought, already awed at the girl for gaining his brother's attention.

Being the loyal brother he was, he decided not to mention this discovery to their father unless Madara gets too attached. Still Izuna wanted to know more about this situation.

Elsewhere similar thoughts had entered Tobirama's mind. Both little brothers wondered about the relationship between the woman and their older brothers.


	8. Prophecy?

_**Chapter Eight:**_

 _ **Prophecy.**_

* * *

"So, any idea why this old geezer toad wants to meet me?" Naruto asked, following the ever arguing couple through Mount Myoboku.

"No idea Naruto-girl," Shima sighed.

"I'm willing to bet that he's really gone senile, how can someone mistake Naruto for a boy?" Fukasaku questioned.

Naruto could only sweat drop as the two started bickering again about Fukasaku's lack of manners, and then somehow the argument became about their love life. Naruto could honestly say that she was content in not knowing that toads could do _that_ , maybe she needed to go puke now...

"No fighting, children. A husband and wife should be nice to each other."

Naruto paused, finally realizing that she was standing across a small set of stairs that led to a big cushion, on top of that cushion sat an old toad that had just chided the ever bickering couple.

"So, this is the senile old toad," Naruto stated.

"Ah, Naruto, it's been a long time."

Naruto stared blankly at the toad, "Oi, I don't know you."

"Oh? Are you sure?"

Naruto nodded, crossing her arms, "Never met ya before geezer."

"Have some respect Naruto-girl!" Shima ordered.

"It's alright, Naruto has always been one to speak her mind after all," Gamamaru assured.

"Old geezer, are ya a stalker or something?" Naruto bluntly asked.

"I give out prophecies."

"Prophecies? Like a fortune teller?"

"I suppose."

Naruto grinned excitedly before pointing to herself, "Do mine, do mine!" she ordered.

"Of course, that is why I asked for you to come here. You have a very special prophecy young one," the old and senile sage informed.

Naruto leaned in closer, her interest totally piqued now, _'Will I reap the amount of souls I owe Shinigami-sensei in the future?'_ was the one thought that crossed through her head.

"In time you will have a Student of your own. That student will become a ninja that will bring great change to the world of Shinobi. It will be of either great stability or great destruction. The kind the world has never seen. You will be the one that will guide this revolutionary. And one day, you will be forced to make a choice. The choice will determine which way the change will go."

Naruto's mouth dropped open, "I'd kill my Student in a week!"

"Naruto-girl!" Shima warned.

Gamamaru chuckled, "Oops, wrong prophecy."

"He really is going senile," Fukasaku muttered.

"Then tell me my real prophecy!" Naruto ordered.

"Very well," Gamamaru nodded.

"Oi, I'm-"

"In time you will regain your lost memories. Those memories will remind you of your ultimate conquest, your conquest for peace. After you remember your conquest you shall either fall into despair because of your actions in the near future or you shall bring forth a change to the world of Shinobi. Choices will be made, bonds will be tested, and you will determine if this world will fall into chaos or receive another chance."

Both Shima and Fukasaku's eyes widened at the prophecy, finally realizing why it was important for them to bring Naruto to where they were, the couple stared at Naruto's small back as the blonde's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Peace..." the blonde repeated in a whisper.

Gamamaru smiled at the blonde, "Y-"

Naruto laughed obnoxiously, cutting the sage off, "Me? Bring peace? What kind of shit have you been eating old man?!"

"Naruto-girl?" Shima hesitantly asked, eyeing the blonde who was rolling on the floor laughing her head off.

"And I thought the old geezer was senile..." Fukasaku muttered.

Naruto wheezed as she stayed on the floor, "Oi, old geezer, that was a beautiful prophecy and all that jazz, but there's only one thing wrong with it. _I don't give a snake's ass about peace._ In fact, I'd rather much **see the world burn**."

"Have you even taken a moment to see the state of the world? Infants dying left and right in a war torn world? This world doesn't deserve peace. Humans abuse the great powers they received in order to continue harming one another instead of furthering more important things. And even if peace were to one day be achieved, it would only be a false one. Humans will always find something to fight about," Naruto coldly recounted, standing up.

She gave the toads a dangerous grin, "I'm much more interested in seeing how long I can stay sane before I snap and burn this world down in black flames."

Shima and Fukasaku shivered at the deadly aura surrounding the girl.

"You speak as if you aren't human," Gamamaru noted.

"Don't put me on the same level as those heathens. I am the Shinigami's student, the future ruler of the after life. To me, these humans are merely some playthings," Naruto stated turning around to leave, "Thank you for your hospitality Fuka-san, Shima-san, Old Geezer," she thanked out of forced politeness.

"If you ever change your mind, do summon yourself here," Gamamaru said.

Naruto scoffed.

"Is that girl really the child of prophecy?" Shima questioned quietly.

Gamamaru gave a crooked grin, "No doubt about it."

"He really is senile," Fukasaku muttered.

"One day a mischievous blue-eyed blonde will unite the tailed beasts and change the world, that was the first prophecy I've ever given. In time it will finally be completed."

"Naruto-girl has two prophecies?" Shima frowned in confusion.

"Both prophecies tie with one another," Fukasaku answered.

Gamamaru nodded in agreement, "We just have to wait."

 _'Remember who you are Naruto...'_

* * *

Naruto laughed as she decapitated another ninja, blood spurting all over her as she single-handedly took on a group of fifteen Kaguya clan members.

The Kaguya clan members laughed as well, because this is what they lived for. To fight.

 _'See old geezer, my tainted hands can't bring anything to this world filled with trash.'_


	9. To Choose

_**Chapter Nine:**_

 _ **To Choose**_

* * *

Izuna knew that he only had two important things in his life; namely his clan and his big brother. His reason for living, his reason for fighting, _everything_ he did was for the clan and his brother. There was no denying that sole fact, because it was that very fact that defined him.

Right now his goal is to support his brother, and ensure that he becomes the clan head. Then he'll be Madara's right hand.

He would never have to choose between Madara or his clan, because just like him Madara was loyal to the Uchiha clan name. He would never have to betray either of the two.

"I'm going out to train." Madara's sudden statement made Izuna's eyes snap to him.

Izuna didn't say anything as Madara stood up and left without another word. With a quiet sigh Izuna downed his green tea.

"Remember your orders." His father reminded.

 _"Find out what Madara's been up to lately. Discreetly."_

Izuna nodded, and just like his brother he left without another word.

Silently trailing after Madara was by no means an easy feat, however Izuna had known Madara his whole life, so it was easier for him. He just stuck with the trees, camouflaging himself with the green colors.

And then suddenly Madara's running, and Izuna silently curses, did Madara sense that he was following him?

Regardless, Izuna also started running, because failure was not an option. And he too was curious about Madara's recent escapades. Like the majority members of his clan he had begun suspecting that Madara would go off to visit a woman.

Star-crossed lovers, his female clansmen would coo, because even if the rumors were true, their father, the clan head, would not allow Madara to marry just any woman, and instead would arrange for Madara to marry a fellow clansmen.

But, Izuna knows Madara. This woman, if she really exists, wouldn't be just _any_ woman.

 _'What have you been up to?'_ Izuna wondered, frankly he doesn't remember Madara being this fast.

He used to be faster than Madara, and now he's slower. How was that possible? And why did he have the feeling that he's getting left behind?

He forced his legs to move faster, because he _doesn't_ want to be left behind. At Madara's right side, that's where he belongs. And he'll be damned if that ever changes.

Panting, and obviously out of breath he reaches a forest clearing before any trails of his brother disappears. A pool of self-ashamed emotions bubble up inside of him, none directed at his brother, but at himself.

"But ramen is _liiiiifeeeee_ …." A feminine voice suddenly stresses out from nowhere.

Izuna's onyx eyes focuses on a sleeping girl that sprawled out on the grass, as if she could idle around despite how dangerous it was. And Izuna wouldn't deny that the girl oozed out a certain innocence, and had a surreal beauty to her despite only wearing a burned orange kimono.

The young Uchiha observes the girl's features, all the way from her peaceful and soft looking face, to the whisker-like markings on either side of her cheeks, and to her blonde locks that only seemed to give her more of an ethereal beauty.

Slowly, but confidently, he walks up to the girl intent on making sure she gets home as soon as possible before the place turned into a battleground. He crouches down in front of the girl intent on waking her up as gently as possible.

And then he feels the cool tip of a kunai on his throat. He tenses waiting for his inevitable death, because really, why did he let his guard down?

"Step away from her _Uchiha._ " An unfamiliar voice hissed.

Izuna complies, although a part of him wonders why the mysterious boy behind him didn't just kill him already. But this was his chance.

Without wasting a second he elbowed the boy and used his right hand to grip the kunai, catching a flash of white in his vision he immediately manages to reverse the situation so that he now have the kunai at the boy's neck and his left hand firmly gripping the boy's right arm behind the boy's back.

And Izuna smirked his trademark Uchiha smirk, filled with smugness and a huge aura of superiority.

Unlike the foolish boy in front of him he doesn't hesitate to slice the boy's neck.

The boy's body promptly becomes water. _'A water clone.'_ Izuna quickly realizes, and although he hates to admit it he was impressed.

Quickly, Izuna draws his katana to block the boy's sudden sword attack. Both narrowed their eyes at the other, a battle of strength between the onyx-eyed and the red-eyed boy.

Then the two boys feel a sudden killer intent, and without consent their eyes wander to the now awake blonde who was drenched in water, both quickly realizing that the water clone had done that.

"Tobi- _kun_." The girl gave the white haired boy a poisonously sweet smile.

"Namikaze." The boy, Tobi-kun, blandly said.

 _'What's going on?'_ Izuna wondered as his eyes darted between the girl and the boy.

"What's going on?" The girl seemed to be a mind reader.

"This boy was trying to kill you in your sleep." Tobi informed.

Izuna sputtered out a quick denial, "D-did not, I was trying to wake her up!"

"Awww, you two are so sweet!" And suddenly all killer intent is gone as the girl approached them. She looked at their blades that were still struggling for the upper hand and promptly broke their struggle with her bare hands.

"Namikaze!" Tobi snarled as if angered at her for disturbing their fight.

"Are your hands alright?" Izuna politely asked, because unlike the boy in front of him he had his priorities straight.

"Yep, I'll just bandage it up later, okay?" The girl assured him with a bright grin.

Izuna nodded and took the moment to notice the girl's blue eyes that only made her appearance seem more ethereal.

"Namikaze, you shouldn't sleep wherever you please." Tobi scolded.

"But I was tired~!" The girl, Namikaze, childishly whined.

"That doesn't excuse your behavior. I will not tolerate you dying-"

"Aww, you actually care!"

"-without a rematch."

"…for a moment I thought you actually cared." Namikaze sulked.

 _'They both seem to know each other well. Although it doesn't seem like they live in the same area.'_ Izuna noted to himself.

"It's best I head off then." Izuna informed the two as he sheathed his katana, because he didn't have time to idle around with two strangers.

"Wait!" Namikaze yelled grabbing his arm, her blue eyes suddenly shining with curiosity. Faintly Izuna heard Tobi sigh at the blonde.

"Y-yes?" Izuna quickly asked, and he cursed himself for stuttering. But could anyone blame him really? The blonde was practically pressing herself against him with this intense look in her eyes.

"You seem familiar, have I seen you before?"

The first thought Izuna has is the fact that her question sounded like an overused method of 'picking a girl up' as his fellow clansmen had taught him.

"No, you haven't." He answered pleased to note that he didn't stutter.

"Sasuke…" The girl suddenly muttered, her blue eyes widening.

"Pardon me? I think you have me-"

"What's your name?" The girl asked cutting him off.

Izuna frowned at the disrespect, but he doesn't comment on it. "Izuna." He answered.

"Are you by any chance _the_ Izuna? Madara's precious little brother?" Namikaze asked, her lips tugging into a knowing smile.

"Yes, how do you know my brother?"

"I see him every day!"

 _'This is the mystery woman.'_ Izuna realizes, how could he not figure that out sooner?

"Namikaze, I thought you were seeing _my_ brother." Tobi suddenly points out, a tint of confusion laced in his voice.

Namikaze nodded at both Izuna and Tobi, "I see both of them!" She cheerfully informs.

 _'What a shameless woman.'_ Both Izuna and Tobi thought, getting the wrong idea.

* * *

"I see both of them!" Namikaze cheerfully informed.

 _'What a shameless woman…'_ Tobirama thought to himself, he had a low opinion on Naruto already, but to hear her shamelessly admit to seeing both his older brother and an Uchiha of all people was simply the last thing he would suspect Naruto of.

"This is unacceptable, I can't tolerate someone thinking my brother is not good enough." Izuna suddenly said.

As much as Tobirama hated the Uchiha clan, he couldn't help but agree with the Uchiha. "Same for me. My brother is better suited than any other man, especially an Uchiha." He sneered the clan name with venom.

"Hey! My brother is way better than yours!" Izuna yelled losing his composure.

"Then I do not see why Namikaze would need my brother to satisfy her as well." Tobirama shot back.

"Who said she didn't need my brother to satisfy her?" Izuna shot back.

Both glared at each other, in that moment forming an intense dislike of the other. Tobirama had a feeling that even if the boy wasn't an Uchiha, he would have still hated Izuna. The feeling was all too mutual on Izuna's part, except he didn't know Tobirama was as Senju.

A snort earned their attention.

"What's so funny Namikaze?" Tobirama asked raising an eyebrow at the blonde who was obviously trying not to laugh.

"It's just, you know, you two are so gullible!" She said finally letting out an amused laugh.

Tobirama was surprised she even knew a word as difficult as gullible.

"See," She gave him and Izuna a closed eye smile, "We're just friends. No benefits at all."

"Ah, you lied." It wasn't really surprising for Tobirama. He did know Naruto was a trickster, kind of like a fox. A vixen if you will.

"Then why did you imply it?" Izuna asked.

Tobirama merely shook his head at the Uchiha's stupidity.

"Because it seemed like a fun idea." Naruto answered with a grin.

"Now that you've had your fun, direct me to my brother's location." Tobirama ordered.

"Say please."

"No."

"Then I'll just direct you back to your home."

"Could you please tell me where my brother is?" Izuna spoke up a bit reluctantly.

Tobirama watched on as Naruto pinned Izuna with a frown.

"You're not supposed to be polite…you're supposed to be arrogant, mean, a know it all, and a teme…" Naruto quietly said, a tint of disappointment in her voice.

Tobirama would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about that.

"Excuse me?" Izuna blinked.

Naruto sighed, "You really aren't him…"

"Him?" Tobirama curiously repeated.

"No one important really," Naruto gave out a sigh that really didn't suit her, but then in an instant she reverted back into a cheerfully bubbly girl. "How about an exchange of information?"

"An exchange?" Izuna asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you tell me what I want to know and I'll tell you what you want to know. Seems fair, doesn't it?" She gave them a sly look.

Tobirama wasn't the least bit surprised, he knew Naruto was a very undpredictable person, a wildcard if you will. "As long as it's not classified."

"Hn." Izuna agreed.

"Why go looking for Madara and Hashirama?" Naruto seriously asked.

"Orders." Tobirama courtly answered knowing that Naruto could figure the rest out on her own.

"I'll assume the same applies to you Izuna." Naruto shrugged, Tobirama noted how Naruto didn't grace Izuna with any nicknames. Whether Izuna was lucky for this or not is still questionable.

"I'll show you two where they are, but first…what's more important to you? Violence or your brother's happiness?" Her question was directed at both Tobirama and Izuna.

"What do you mean by that?" Izuna asked.

"Just answer." Naruto stubbornly said crossing her arms.

"My brother." Tobirama answered.

"Same here…"

Naruto smiled approvingly at them, "Then I suggest what happens next stays between us. Wouldn't want the Senju and Uchiha to be waging war on each other just because their heirs get along."

Tobirama's and Izuna's eyes widened at the implication.

 _'That means that Hashirama is friends with the Uchiha heir…'_

 _'Madara-nii-sama is friends with the Senju heir?'_

Naruto turned around and began walking away. She motioned them to follow her.

 _"What's more important to you?"_

Would they choose the clan or their brothers?


	10. Not so different

_**Chapter Ten:**_

 _ **Not so different.**_

* * *

Hashirama sighed as his stone made it to the other side of the river, "It's kind of weird not seeing Naru these days…" he said what both he and Madara were thinking.

"She's probably busy with something or another." Madara stated, but even he knew his words sounded half assed.

"She would have said so." Hashirama quietly pointed out, "And is it just me or has she been acting off lately?" he asked.

It wasn't just him. Madara noticed it too.

It started off simple, with Naruto occasionally saying some dark things before catching herself and reverting back to her cheerful self, then she started scowling at this frog that followed her along everywhere, and what really drove the point home was the fact that Naruto hasn't pulled any pranks lately.

"Something happened." Madara concluded both their suspicions.

"The question would be, what happened?" Hashirama asked.

Madara shrugged. Both of them knew that Naruto wasn't easily angered, quite the opposite really, she was easily pleased with the smallest gestures. So for someone to be able to make the normally cheerful blonde act so strangely, it should be considered a feat.

"If only we knew where she lives…" Hashirama sighed.

Madara knew where Naruto camps out. He already checked, Naruto's things were there, but the girl in question was definitely not. And by the looks of things, she hadn't been there for quite some days.

"She wouldn't tell us what's bothering her anyways." Madara quietly said.

It was the truth.

Both knew that despite how open Naruto was, behind her laughs and smiles she was hiding a lot of secrets. That despite how Naruto tried to teaching them the importance of working together, she herself was a loner. One thing was for sure, Naruto was both an enigma and a walking contradiction.

* * *

 _"Naruto?"_

 _Naruto blinked, a dazed look on his face as he turned to look at Sakura. Where was he again?_

 _"You have a stupid look on your face Dobe."_

 _Oh, right. He and his teammates were at their training ground. It really wasn't their training ground, but they might as well own it considering they're the only ones who use it._

 _"Sasuke, Naruto's been busy lately, he's probably just tired." Yamato defended._

 _Naruto smirked._

 _"A smug look really doesn't suit you Dickless." Sai noted._

 _Naruto's smirk fell off, and he turned to glare at Sai. "I'm surprised you still have yours considering Ino's pinning after you."_

 _Sai gave him a smile. Everyone, even Naruto himself knew, that Sai was now pissed off. No one says something remotely bad about Ino in his presence after all._

 _"Maa, break it up you two." Kakashi ordered appearing out of nowhere just in time to stop a fight from breaking out._

 _"You're late." Both Sasuke and Sakura calmly stated to their teacher. No one failed to notice that faint blush Sakura had when she realized it._

 _"We'll start up by sparring, alright?"_

 _And just like that Sakura and Sasuke went off to spar, Yamato and Kakashi too, and only him and Sai remained on their spot. This was the sixth time Sakura and Sasuke had gone off to spar together, but everyone knew that they didn't just spar._

 _It kind of gave Naruto a bittersweet feeling._

 _"You still love Sakura, don't you?" Sai asked._

 _Contrary to the popular belief, Sai was also Naruto's best friend along with Shikamaru. It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Naruto's closer with Sai and Shikamaru than he is with Sasuke. It's kind of like the former being his best friends and the latter being his brother._

 _It's exactly because Sai's one of Naruto's best friends that he got the perk of knowing Naruto's true feelings on certain subjects._

 _Naruto's lips curled up into one of the most heartbroken smile Sai's even seen. "Is it that obvious?"_

 _"No." Sai truthfully answered, aside from him and Shikamaru, and perhaps even Hinata, no one knew that Naruto was still very much in love with Sakura._

 _Everyone else thought it was a puppy dog crush, but they couldn't have been more wrong. Because Sakura had and always will be the one person who unknowingly has Naruto's heart at the palm of her hands._

 _"This is selfish of me," Naruto admitted, "But why did Sakura-chan take all the wrong reasons to fall in love with the Teme, instead of taking all the right reasons I gave her to love me?"_

 _Sai's heart clenched uncomfortably. He could feel the pain Naruto was currently feeling. Both a perk and a downside of being someone's best friend._

 _"I can't answer that really, because even I can't see why Sakura never fell for you." Sai stated._

 _"I guess it's because she and him, they both only see me as an annoying little brother." And that was the truth._

 _"What about Hinata?" Sai asked trying to change the topic and make Naruto feel better._

 _"She really loves me, doesn't she? Sometimes I wonder how things would have been if I fell for her instead…"_

 _"But you can't. You only see her as a little sister."_

 _Naruto let out a humorless laugh, "I'm a cruel bastard, eh? Doing the same thing they're doing…Hinata doesn't deserve me. Not one bit."_

 _"And Sasuke doesn't deserve Sakura either. Did that stop him?"_

 _Naruto sighed. "No, but I can't force myself to fall in love can I?"_

 _Sai shook his head no. No one can force themselves to fall in love if they don't want to._

 _"No you can't." He agreed._

 _"I wonder if there's somebody out there for me, somebody that'll make me forget that I was ever in love with Sakura." Naruto mused staring up at the sky._

 _"There is. You just haven't find this person yet." Sai assured. "Get some rest, you have to meet with Tsunade afterwards. I can train on my own." Sai ordered._

 _Naruto smiled in thanks before making his way to a tree, he dropped himself down to the ground and leaned against the tree. "And Sai?"_

 _"Dickless?"_

 _"You're a really lucky one. Unlike me, you managed to make her see the right reasons to fall in love with you. And she's the best thing that's ever happened to you, I can see it. Make sure you keep her."_

 _That was the closest Naruto was going to get to apologizing for insulting Ino earlier._

 _"Yeah, thanks Naruto." A rare genuine smile graced Sai's features._

 _"You're-"_

* * *

Naruto felt her back hit the ground hard. Her blue eyes staring up at the sky with a dazed look.

"Namikaze?" Tobirama questioned as he and Izuna jumped out of the tree they were hiding in to stalk their older brothers who had already left.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, but she wasn't really paying attention. _'I remember them…'_ She didn't remember everything. But she did remember more than she did the day before. She didn't really feel sad though, which was odd.

"You fell off the tree." Tobirama pointed out.

"Really?"

The boy who looked a lot like Sasuke, Izuna she reminded herself, frowned at her. "Are you okay?"

"Just fine." Naruto said standing up. She fought back a wince.

Both boys didn't seem convinced, but they didn't pry.

"So? Are you two going to rat out your brothers?" Naruto changed the topic. To be honest she didn't care either way, she was just amusing herself. But it would be nice to see Madara and Hashirama remain friends.

She resisted the urge to chuckle, because she couldn't have sounded more fucked up even if she had worded her line of thinking differently.

Both boys didn't answer her.

"Aww, come on, tell me." Naruto pouted.

"It's difficult." Tobirama admitted, "I _hate_ the Uchiha, they're despicable." This made Izuna glare at him, his eyes holding the same feelings for the Senju clan. "But…I never would have thought that an Uchiha could get along so well with my brother…" He trailed off thoughtfully.

Izuna's glare disappeared as a thoughtful look overtook his features as well.

 _'They're both still young. I guess their clan's hatred hasn't fully influenced them yet.'_ Naruto thought to herself, _'This outcome can go either way, but one thing's for sure, it'll be amusing.'_

"Well, I have to go take care of some business. See ya!" No point in her spoiling the outcome. She wanted it to be a surprise.

Now it was only Tobirama and Izuna left.

Both conflicted. One part of them wanting to see how far this change could go, and the other part doubting the change.

But they had a duty to their perspective clans. They couldn't just betray them for their childish curiosity.

"The Senju killed my brothers." Izuna tried to justify himself as he started walking away.

"The Uchiha killed mine as well." Tobirama calmly said.

They didn't turn back to look at each other.

But both knew that at that moment they had seen each other in a different light. They had realized that they weren't so different.

They both lost their families, they both bled the same blood, they both have seen the terrors of war….and they're both children.

Lost and confused in the never-ending cycle of war.


	11. To be home

_**Chapter Eleven:  
**_

 _ **To be Home**_

* * *

Naruto knew one undeniable fact.

She was drunk off her butt.

She was so drunk, she thought the sky was green and the grass was blue. She even thought that her hair was stalking her.

She giggled at the fact, her vision blurring slightly as she asked for another cup of sake.

"You shouldn't drink so much miss." A masculine voice chided her.

Naruto, who was still able to maintain her sexy jutsu despite how drunk she was, turned to look at the guy.

She squinted her eyes.

"Have I met you before...?" She slurred, the blurry figure in front of her looked familiar somehow.

Her eyes focused on the man's moving lips, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

"You have sexy lips...!" Naruto giggled loudly.

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"Miss, are you okay?"

Naruto nodded absently as she stumbled towards him. She traced her fingers on his lips. "They feel sexy too..."

"Miss-" The now tensed man was cut off by Naruto smashing her lips on his.

Eventually he responded to the kiss.

Naruto grinned into their kiss as she wrapped her legs around him.

Her stomach churned slightly and she quickly realized that the man was a ninja, nothing else could explain how he was able to get them into a room so quick.

He broke their kiss and began trailing kisses down her neck.

Naruto idly played with his hair before she moaned loudly feeling his teeth playing with her collarbone.

 ** _.o0o.o0o._**

"Taijutsu, no weapons or ninjutsu allowed." Madara stated going into his battle stance as he stood across from Hashirama.

Hashirama's easy going smile soon faded into a surprised look. "Little brother?"

Madara's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he followed Hashirama's gaze behind him to see a white haired boy standing next to his little brother.

"Otouto, what are you doing here?" He tensely asked knowing his secret had been blown.

He practically imagine the punishment that awaited him when he goes back home along with the fact that his father would most likely force him to break his friendship with Hashirama...and by extent Naruto.

'I won't let that happen.' He immediately thought to himself.

As annoying as Hashirama and Naruto were, they were his closest friends. He couldn't just lose them because his father was paranoid.

"I am here to train with you Nii-sama." Izuna casually said, his voice not betraying anything.

Madara wasn't about to feel relieved yet, not when he knew how bad things could turn for their unexpectant situation.

"And you?" He coolly asked sliding his gaze to the white haired boy.

"I'm here to even the playing field." The white haired boy coldly said.

"Wait, he's your brother? That explains why you both look alike." Hashirama commented with an awkward smile.

Reading between the lines when it came to Hashirama became easier for Madara, and right now he knew Hashirama was just trying to ease the tensed mood.

He nodded at Hashirama as they walked over to their brothers. "This is my little brother, Izuna. Izuna this is...my friend, Hashirama."

Hashirama grinned at Izuna and stuck out a hand to the boy. "Nice to meet you!"

Izuna eyed his hand suspiciously before placing his tensed hand in Hashirama's.

"Nice isn't exactly the word I would use." Izuna muttered shaking Hashirama's hand and quickly letting go.

Madara sent Izuna a warning look, but deep down he knew that Izuna was trying for whatever reason to actually try and behave.

"Hahaha," Hashirama awkwardly laughed as he let his hand fall to his side. "Madara, this is my little brother Tobirama. Tobirama, this is Madara, a friend of mine."

Tobirama didn't even spare Madara a glance, noting how Hashirama didn't hesitate to call the Uchiha a friend yet the Uchiha did. But he just gritted his teeth and bore with it, if things didn't work out, he'd slit Namikaze's throat himself.

"Let's start training then." Tobirama stated ending the awkward silence.

Madara clicked his tongue in annoyance, he had a feeling that he and Tobirama weren't going to get along at all.

Hashirama sent Madara an apologetic look and inwardly wished that Naruto was here to help. Naruto always had a way of easing the mood and making everything seem better after all.

The thought of Naruto made Hashirama sigh.

When was the girl getting back?

'Especially now that I need her.' He thought, knowing that for some reason or another Naruto became the person he told most of his secrets to.

He just needed Naruto to be back so he can tell her about his new Ninjutsu.

But Naruto never showed up that day.

Admittedly both Madara and Hashirama were worried. Naruto would usually tell them if she wasn't going to show up, so...

No, they wouldn't jump to conclusions.

After sending each other assuring nods and glances, they were both off to have a private conversation with their respective brothers.

They fell into a routine really.

Madara and Hashirama would meet up and get some one-on-one time before their little brothers came.

Then they would practice Taijutsu two-on two, every single time it would be the Senju brothers against the Uchiha brothers.

What the little brothers didn't know was that their older brothers had no idea from which clan the other came.

Izuna was on polite terms with both Hashirama and Tobirama while Tobirama was on polite terms with only Izuna. Tobirama practically ignored Madara's existence.

It was on the seventh day of their routine that their resident prankster returned.

Tobirama was the first to sense her, Hashirama coming in a close-second.

"Namikaze."

"Naru!"

The name that escaped the Senju brothers mouths caught the Uchiha brothers' interest enough to make them look in the direction that the Senju brothers were looking at.

They saw a blonde haired girl with blue eyes walking into the clearing, a big grin on her features.

"Rama-chan, Mada-kun, Tobi, Izu-chan!" She grinned with a wave.

Madara glanced at Izuna with a questioning look, deciding to ask Izuna how his little brother knew Naruto later, he turned back to Naruto.

"Where were you?" He bluntly asked, not even bothering with a greeting.

While they all waited for an answer, Tobirama stepped forward towards Naruto with a poker face.

Once he was invading Naruto's personal space he raised an eyebrow.

"Explain why you smell like that." He ordered.

Both Madara and Izuna were highly annoyed at Tobirama's action.

"Like what?" Naruto asked with a confused look before taking a sniff of her kimono's sleeve.

"Oh, y'know when you exercise and stuff and your body starts smelling-"

"Not that." Tobirama cut off casting her a suspicious look.

She smelled like the people he saw in brothels when he was out on missions.

But why would she smell like that?

"You're back Naru!"

Tobirama sighed as Hashirama crushed Naruto into a hug.

"Missed me?" Naruto teased returning his hug.

"Of course! Madara and I were worried sick about you."

Naruto blinked in surprise and looked at Madara. "Really?" She asked.

Izuna was surprised to see a tint of pink dust his brothers cheeks. _'He really likes Naruto-san..'_

Naruto grinned and beckoned Madara to join the hug.

Madara gave her a flat look, and instead of joining the hug he smacked her on her head.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried as she cupped her head with her hands. She glared at Madara. "What the heck was that for?!"

Madara smirked, "Welcome back."

Hashirama grinned, Izuna had a polite smile and even Tobirama had a small almost unnoticeable smile.

Naruto blinked away her tears, whether it was because of the sting or because there were actually people waiting for her to return was a mystery to her, but she knew one thing.

She should probably stop her habit of visiting bars and doing one night stands.

She smiled softly at the four surrounding her. "I'm back."


	12. Exposed

_**Chapter Twelve:  
**_

 _ **Exposed**_

* * *

"I'm gone for a bit and everything we've worked on goes to shit." Naruto bluntly summarized as she stood in front of Hashirama, Madara, Izuna and Tobirama. "Boys." She muttered under her breath as they all averted their gazes from her, studiously ignoring that she was once a boy too.

"We're hopeless without you Naru." Hashirama sheepishly admitted.

Naruto nodded in agreement to his statement. "That's why I won't be helping any of you out until you all are friends."

"That will take an eternity." Izuna dryly commented.

"Stop being a douche Sa-Izuna." Naruto quickly corrected herself earning a frown from said boy.

"A lady-"

Tobirama snorted.

"-shouldn't speak that way." The Uchiha finished glaring at the Senju.

"From now on, Izuna and Hashirama will team up against Tobirama and Madara. Until I'm satisfied, I won't help."

At the end of the day Naruto found out that it would be a very hard task to get those teams to work together. But, she's always liked the extra challenge. Izuna and Hashirama wouldn't be too hard from what she's seen, but Tobirama and Madara? They practically seemed to be the epitome of hard. And not in the good way.

* * *

 _"Hinata, I never loved you the way you wanted me to. I'm sorry."_

 _"I-it's okay Naruto-kun, I-I always knew i-it would a-always be Sakura-san."  
_

 _"But..."_

 _"Y-yes?"_

 _"I can give it a shot."_

 _"R-really?"_

 _"Don't get your hopes up though."_

* * *

"Hmm, so the problem here is you Izu-chan." Naruto noted fixing her blue eyes on Izuna.

"A-am not!" Izuna denied.

"Then why do you dislike Rama-chan?" Naruto asked. "No idiotic answers either."

"Yeah, why do you hate me?" Hashirama asked leaning in curiously.

Izuna glanced at where his brother and Tobirama were having a spar before fixing Hashirama with a sneer. "It's because you lie to my big brother _Senju_."

Hashirama's eyes widened.

Naruto sighed, she knew that Hashirama's secret would come bite their friendship with Madara in the ass. Same goes for Madara's little secret. Apparently, the reason why Tobirama practically loathed Madara was the same, with the addition of some weird curse of hatred that the Uchiha clan supposedly possessed. She wasn't going to ask for an obviously biased explanation from Tobirama.

"Which means it's your fault Rama-chan. Well, you and Mada-kun." Naruto flatly summarized as she weaved through some hand seals. She body flickered between Tobirama and Madara, landing on Tobirama's sword with a cocky smile. "Hope you boys had some fun."

"Get off my sword before you break it."

"Are you implying-"

"Please, with the amount of food you eat, it isn't an implication. It's more of a mystery." Tobirama cut her off while eyeing her stomach with a thoughtful look. Naruto's huge appetite wasn't a secret to anyone, more like a source of wonder and disgust.

Naruto pouted as she jumped off Tobirama's sword. "Mada-kun, he's being mean!" She whined throwing herself onto the Uchiha.

Madara didn't even look surprised or annoyed as he grabbed her hand and flipped her over his shoulder. "Stop behaving like an idiot." He stated as Naruto cried crocodile tears. "Though I suppose you wouldn't know any other way to behave." He added as an afterthought.

Tobirama almost smirked when Naruto grabbed the Uchiha's hair and rammed him into the river with a glare. The only reason he didn't was because Naruto was facing him. "Anything you want to say?"

"No." Tobirama flatly said as he sheathed his sword. "When will the real training begin?"

"Hate to agree with him, but I am wondering the same thing." Madara said as he bonked Naruto in the head. "Don't do that again."

"Ouch!" Naruto cried in pain as she rubbed her head.

"It's counter productive to make her more...logically challenged by doing that."

Madara smirked as Naruto rammed Tobirama into the river.

"Real training shouldn't be handed over to brats who can't get along." Naruto huffed before walking out of the clearing. Just as she was almost out of sight she glanced behind her to see the four standing awkwardly, not knowing what to do. "Properly introduce yourselves, then we can talk real training."

* * *

 _Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets as he strolled through the streets of Konoha. He had transformed himself into a typical civilian, in order to blend in with the crowd. He had missed being able to walk through Konoha without girls fawning over him or people praising the ground he walked on. Don't get him wrong, he didn't miss being ignored and hated for something out of his control, he just missed his privacy._

 _Once he had reached his destination, which was the park he used to play at when he was a kid, he allowed his transformation to drop. He didn't have to worry about people bothering him, because most didn't come around._

 _Out of the corner of his eyes he caught the sight of red hair._

 _It was stupid really, because for a split second he actually believed it was his mother. He believed that his mother appeared again, just to give him an advice or something, anything that would help him move the fuck on from Sakura-chan._

 _But, it was with a sense of disappointment that he saw who he recognized to be Karin. It appeared as if she hadn't noticed him, her eyes staring at the sky._

 _She seemed as lost as he did._

 _Without really thinking about it, he sat on the bench next to her._

 _"We've never officially met, have we?" He suddenly asked earning her attention. He didn't even know why he was talking to her, maybe it was because she reminded him of his mother? "I'm Naruto." His lips quirked up into a smile._

 _She stared at him. Her crimson eyes meeting his blue eyes with a look he recognized all too well. The look of an unrequited love. "I'm Karin."_

 _"Who's the one who broke your heart?" Naruto knew for a fact that he was being too straightforward towards someone he's never really spoken to before, but it certainly wasn't out of character for him. He's always been tactless._

 _"Isn't it polite to tell me who broke yours before asking that?" Karin returned._

 _Naruto was almost surprised. The only people who knew he was heartbroken were Shikamaru, Sai and Hinata, none of his other comrades and friends knew that. Yet here, this girl could easily tell. Maybe, just like he recognized the look in her eyes, she recognized the one in his eyes._

 _He gave Karin a lopsided smile. "This special girl. She's always had a fiery spirit and wasn't afraid to punch me, though I considered it tough love. She has the prettiest hair, second only to my mother, and her eyes...her eyes are the ones, y'know? The kind you can get lost in every damn time. I could have given her the world, yet somehow that wasn't enough. I love her and that isn't enough. It's never enough when it comes to people you love, is it?"_

 _"No." Karin agreed, her fists clenched in anger. "You do every damn thing you can for the person. You'd even die for them. You put so much effort just to try and make them return your feelings, but it's never going to be enough. You'll always be second best."_

 _"Don't forget how much it hurts when they hook up with someone else, someone you know won't be as good for them as you are." Naruto added._

 _"Or when you see them kissing. Sending each other loving looks. When you can't help but feel that **it should be you**." Karin was practically bawling her eyes out at this point._

 _Naruto brought her into a one-sided hug. He didn't tell her the things other people told him. He didn't tell her that she'd find someone way better or that this person wasn't worth it if he didn't even notice her. No, Naruto knew that those words would only make the wound deeper. Instead he continued his story._

 _"This girl, she didn't fall for me. She didn't even give me a chance. Said she only sees me as a friend." Naruto scoffed. "I don't want to be her goddamned friend. But not talking to her hurts more than that. So I'm stuck pretending I'm happy for her, instead of just kissing her."_

 _"What's...her name?" Karin finally asked._

 _"Sakura Haruno."_

 _Naruto could only blink as Karin let out a delirious laugh. "That's ironic," She finally rasped out. "You got your heart broken by Sakura. I got my heart broken by her boyfriend."_

* * *

Naruto leaned against a tree as the Four Idiots, a.k.a Izuna, Madara, Hashirama and Tobirama continued training. It seemed like they didn't take her words seriously. She left without a word.

She had a mission to complete. Apparently some big shots started causing trouble in a nearby town, acting as if they were stronger than the Uchiha. Supposedly their Genjutsu was far superior than the Sharingan users' Genjutsu.

Soon enough, when she was almost at her destination, she bumped into other source of irritation. Fukasaku, the toad.

"For someone who wants to see the world burn, you haven't been causing any chaos lately." The toad commented without any real bite, just curiosity. "Have you seen how pointless your destruction is?"

Naruto scoffed. "As if. I've just been preoccupied lately."

"With?"

"Well, four brats who are keeping stupid secrets from each other and a stupid frog that won't realize that I don't want to be its poster girl for world peace."

"I'm a toad." Fukasaku corrected as he followed Naruto. "Though what's so bad about peace?"

"What's so good about it?" Naruto shot back before leaping onto a tree branch.

"When there's chaos, people don't take the time to appreciate the simple things in life."

"Such as?" Naruto humored the toad.

"Family and love."

Those two simple words, which would normally only leave her a bit annoyed, had a big impact on her for some reason. Enough to make her stop moving. To make her just pause and think.

"I..those stuff are.." She immediately became irritated at herself. A few past memories were making her doubt her superiority over such trivial stuff? She placed on an indifferent look. "A waste of time. Pointless."

Just to prove a statement she burned down the whole town. She'd like to see if the toads would still insist she was their child of prophecy after that.

* * *

 _Naruto distractedly stared out of the window as he waited for his food to come. His date, the lovely Hinata Hyuga, merely stared at him. With utter longing. Naruto didn't even know why he was doing this to the poor girl._

 _He did tell her he still loved Sakura, but yet he had asked Hinata to become his girlfriend anyways. Hinata had easily agreed despite how clear Naruto made it that he held no romantic feelings for her and would only give it a shot to prove it to both her and himself._

 _Yet why hadn't he broke up with her after the first week?_

 _They've being going out for almost two months now._

 _He learned why Hinata adores him. Honestly, it made him feel like a huge jerk for not breaking up with the girl already. Yet he would feel like an even bigger one if he broke up without giving Hinata a proper reason._

 _It wasn't like he could just say 'Oh, hey, I dated you for two months, but y'know, let's break up because I'm still pinning after a girl who just happens to be getting married today.'_

 _You heard him right._

 _Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, the village's darling couple, were getting married. In five hours._

 _This was just Naruto wallowing in food while Hinata, the ever loyal girlfriend, accompanied him._

 _"Can we join?"_

 _The familiar voice made Naruto glance at Karin's crimson eyes. They were as blank as his was. He could tell that just like him, she had given up hope. Hope that somehow Sakura and Sasuke would magically break up._

 _Then he glanced at Karin's date. Kiba. It was a total surprise._

 _"K-Kiba?" It seemed like even Hinata wasn't aware._

 _"I asked her on a date. She said yes." Even Kiba seemed surprised as he tried to casually shrug. Instead of letting Hinata sit next to Naruto, he simply sat next to the blonde himself._

 _"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend." Karin noted as she took a seat next to Hinata. "Then again, us stubborn folks tend to have the same mindset, don't we?"_

 _As much as Naruto hated to admit it. Karin's real statement, 'We both are just distracting ourselves,' was very accurate. Hinata was just a distraction, that's why he didn't break up with her yet._

 _"You think so, huh? How about I formally introduce you two?" Naruto suggested with a grin. "Hinata, this is Karin. Karin, this is Hinata, my frie...girlfriend." He caught himself just on time._

 _Only Karin noticed his slip up._

 _"Well, hope you don't mind that I turned this into a double-date Hinata-chan." Karin politely smile._

 _"I-I don't m-mind."_

* * *

Naruto honestly didn't have the patience to deal with the whole secret identity thing the brats had going on. Honestly, it was a surprise she even held on for as long as she had. She wasn't known for being a patient person.

So she stood in front of the four brats.

"Tobirama Senju, Izuna Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha. There."

Before the drama could start she disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

:::::

* * *

 _There was something darkly amusing, Naruto decided. Maybe the world was playing a cosmetic joke on him? Most of his life had after all been a series of hurt after hurt. From being constantly rejected by the village, to finding out his own parents had condemned him to a life filled with pain, and finally to his own brother in all but blood marrying the girl Naruto was in love with._

 _"N-Naruto-kun?"_

 _Naruto glanced at his date for the wedding, absently noting he would have to break up with the Hyuga soon before she started to think he was developing feelings for her. It would be cruel of him to do that._

 _Yes, she loved him._

 _But guess what? Sometimes loving someone wasn't enough. Otherwise he'd be the one marrying Sakura instead._

 _Besides, no one really had the right to call him an asshole for not loving Hinata the way she wanted him to. Sure, Hinata had been in love with him since forever. But, so what?_

 _The girl had never once approached him during their academy years. She had never even spoken to him until they became shinobi. And maybe, if Hinata had actually been there for him when he was in the academy, when he desperately craved any form of affection, then maybe he would have fallen for her. But she didn't. She watched him from afar and while it was flattering, it didn't really mean much to Naruto._

 _"A-are you okay?" Hinata asked in concern._

 _"No, not really," Naruto honestly answered._

 _Before Hinata could say anything else, everyone quietened down._

 _Naruto knew it would hurt him to attend the wedding, despite how he had passed the duty as the best man on to Kakashi. In fact, if it wasn't for Sasuke and Sakura tag teaming him and basically threatening him to attend, he'd be at his apartment drinking away his sorrows._

 _(Ero-sennin would be so disappointed in him.)_

 _"Sakura...chan..?" Naruto uttered out, eyes wide as he stared at Sakura while she walked down the aisle._

 _She looked so damn beautiful that it physically hurt him._

 _Because the smile of pure joy on her face wasn't directed at him._

 _It broke his heart all over again._

 _It wasn't fair that Sakura could make him feel like he wasn't enough. It wasn't fair that he was the one by Sakura's side, yet she still chose Sasuke. A cynical part of Naruto wondered if it would have been better for him to accept Sakura's fake love confession, at least then he'd have her._

 _"I FUCKING OBJECT!" An outraged voice broke Naruto from his dark thoughts._

 _He turned to look Karin, who despite being obviously angered and hurt, stood proud at the entrance of the building. She was wearing casual clothes, as if she hadn't even been planning to attend the wedding._

 _"Sakura Haruno," Karin hissed at a wide-eyed Sakura. "You only fell for Sasuke because of his looks. Congratulations on getting him somehow, because I really don't see what he sees in you. Trust me, I tried. Heck, I don't even know what Naruto sees in you. He gave you everything and you threw him aside like he was beneath you while you're the one whose beneath him. Frankly, he could do way better."_

 _Naruto ignored the surprised looks he was receiving._

 _Hearing Karin say that somehow comforted him a little._

 _"And you, Sasuke Uchiha," Karin's voice grew soft._

 _Naruto would have gone over to the girl if Hinata wasn't holding on to his arm._

 _"I frankly don't know what I see in you. You tried to kill me, for fuck's sake. But somehow, I'm still in love with you. I hate myself for that because you don't deserve me, not the other way around. Honestly, Sakura only loves the good side of you. I love both. The dark and the good. But, well, whatever."_

 _Karin then took in a deep breath, "I don't even know why I'm objecting, it won't change anything. You two are so selfish and maybe that's why you work. Kiss her already. But before you do, I have one last thing to say."_

 _It was as if no one dared to breath as Karin's gaze focused on both the groom and the bride._

 _" **Fuck you.** "_

 _With that, Karin finally broke down crying._

 _Naruto snorted in while amusement while gently prying Hinata off of him._

 _"I'm leaving," he informed the Hyuga._

 _"W-what? B-but-"_

 _"Oh, and I'm breaking up with you," he casually added before walking towards Karin._

 _He, without much thought, scooped one arm of his under her knees and the other around her shoulders. He lifted her up as if she weighed nothing and instead of struggling, she sobbed into his shoulders._

 _"...I-I'm so pathetic, a-aren't I fish-cakes?"_

 _"You're amazing."_

 _Ignoring everyone else, Naruto left with Karin._

.o0o.o0o.

Naruto sluggishly ducked down, barely avoiding a kick from Madara.

"Oi, what's wrong with ya?!" She yelled in annoyance, still feeling the after effects of her memories.

Instead of replying, Madara prepared a punch towards her.

Feeling short tempered, Naruto prepared her own punch towards the Uchiha.

They were both aiming at each other's faces.

Both however stopped themselves when Hashirama came in between them.

"Get outta the way Hashi!" Naruto hollered, feeling the itch to beat someone up.

"Move."

Hashirama frantically shook his head before sending them both a stern look that in Naruto's opinion only made him look adorable.

"We're all friends here. There's no need for violence!" He pleaded.

"It's..." Naruto frowned at Hashirama. "Violence is the only thing I know."

She didn't know what possessed her to reveal that to them, because she knew they only saw her as an idiotic friend. A strong one, but still an idiot. She was just so tired and emotionally exhausted. Each memory that she remembered made her feel drained, no matter if they were happy ones or not.

She just felt so damned lost and alone for some reason.

"Naruto..."

Ignoring the pitying look she was receiving from Hashirama, she raised her head up to glare at Madara and promptly received a punch from him.

"Fuck!" She cursed, clutching her throbbing nose.

"Madara!" Hashirama yelled.

Madara, who was outwardly indifferent, walked towards Naruto. "Hit me," he ordered.

Naruto was tempted to do that. She was tempted to punch Madara until they were bleeding, to beat the life out of him and then reaping his soul. Just because he had pissed her off and it was her automatic reaction to destroy things that pissed her off.

But...the desperation in Hashirama's voice still played in her head.

"No," Naruto inhaled.

"I said, hit me."

Naruto gasped as Madara punched her in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her.

"Madara!" Hashirama scolded while pulling Madara back.

Naruto took a shaky breath.

She was going to destroy Madara.

"Don't mess with me," Naruto growled, throwing a punch at the Uchiha.

Madara didn't even flinch as her fists neared him.

 _"Welcome back."_

She stopped herself at the last minute, just before she hit his jaw. She breathed out a relieved sigh, knowing she wasn't angry anymore which meant she wasn't going to do anything she'd regret.

"Violence isn't the only thing you know, dobe."

Naruto's eyes widened when Madara poked her forehead.

Besides Madara, Hashirama nodded in agreement, a small smile of disbelief on his face. "Even though his way of telling you is weird, he's right. Sure, you're a pretty violent girl Naru, but that's not the only thing you are. You're the kindest person I've ever met."

Both boys were smiling at her. Hashirama with his wide smile and Madara with his subtle one.

The blonde girl felt heat rising up her cheeks. "W-why d-did you attack me anyway?!"

Hashirama and Madara shared a glance before looking back at her.

"You revealed our clan names," Madara stated as if it was obvious.

"So?"

Hashirama shook his head in disbelief, "Then you just left."

"...so?"

Madara facepalmed.

"You revealed our secrets _then left_ ," Hashirama tried stressing out.

"...so?"

It was Hashirama's turn to facepalm.

Naruto continued watching the two boys in confusion, honestly not getting why they were acting like she did something wrong.

"You two are idiots," she bluntly told them.

"Pot calling the kettle black," Hashirama muttered.

Naruto blinked however when Madara started making a weird, strangled sound.

"You okay Mada-kun?"

Hashirama also sent Madara a worried look.

They both jumped in surprise when Madara threw his head back and laughed.

"The world is ending," they both quivered in fear.

"This is just so stupid," Madara scoffed, still laughing quietly. "Of course Naruto would just leave after revealing everything. It's so Naruto."

"Hey!" Naruto crossed her arms as Hashirama began laughing as well.

She scowled as both boys laughed at her expense.

Ten seconds later, she was laughing as well.

If you can't beat them, join them, right?

"I'm going to say something crazy right now," Hashirama declared once they had finished laughing.

"I see Naruto's illness is contagious," Madara solemnly said, earning a punch from the girl.

"I want to create a village."

Naruto was going to laugh, but refrained herself when she saw that Hashirama was being completely serious.

"Why?" Madara for once sounded stunned.

"So that kids won't have to kill each other anymore. Because, I want to stop the violence in this world, even if by a little bit."

"I...want that too," Madara murmured, earning a joyful look from Hashirama.

They both turned to look at her.

Naruto blinked, feeling a sense of amusement. It was ironic for her that her friends wanted peace. Especially since she had declared not too long ago that she had scoffed at that notion in front of the toads.

Yet, this could be fun, couldn't it? She can build a village, then destroy it and reap all the souls in it.

"Let's do it then. Let's create our own village!"

.o0o.o0o.

 _Naruto groggily sipped on some coffee, feeling a killer headache from drinking away his sorrows with Karin._

 _Karin, who despite her petite appearance, won their mini-drinking contest that involved them trying to see who can get more hammered and make dumb decisions. They ended up doing a lot of crazy shit like defacing the Hokage monument and destroying several bars before he had convinced Karin to just sleepover._

 _"Ero-sennin, mom...you two are probably disappointed," Naruto winced at that thought._

 _"Naruto Uzumaki, open this goddamn door!" Sakura's voice hollered as she banged on his front door._

 _Naruto steeled himself for some ass kicking, considering he walked away before Sakura became an Uchiha._

 _"Sakura-chan," he plastered a sheepish smile on his face as he opened the door, unashamed at being shirtless. "Good morning."_

 _He almost sighed in relief when Sakura didn't immediately send him flying with her punch._

 _Sakura crossed her arms and scowled at him._

 _"Well?"_

 _"Well what?" Naruto frowned, crossing his arms as well. He could feel Karin walking towards them, probably having been awoken by the loud noises that Sakura had made while knocking on the door._

 _"Care to explain why you left Sasuke and I's wedding with Karin of all people? Do you know what kind of rumors are going around? Do..." Sakura trailed off, her mouth going open in surprise._

 _Naruto felt two arms wrap around his waist before Karin pressed herself against his back._

 _"Shouldn't you and Sasuke be on a honeymoon by now?" Karin yawned, peeking at Sakura in disdain._

 _Naruto resisted the urge to smile at how dismissive Karin was being._

 _Sakura looked between them before her eyes zeroed in on the only thing Karin was wearing. Naruto's shirt._

 _"You have got to be kidding me..."_

 _Naruto frowned at the disgusted look that Sakura was sporting. "What?"_

 _"You hooked up with a criminal!"_

 _"Please," Karin scoffed, "You did too."_

 _Naruto almost laughed. Almost. As much as he liked ignoring it, he knew that technically speaking Sasuke was a criminal. Pardoned, but still a criminal._

 _Sakura ignored Karin and looked at Naruto. "What about Hinata?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"She's your girlfriend."_

 _"Oh, I broke up with her yesterday."_

 _He didn't even flinch when Sakura slapped him._

 _Instead, he held Karin's arms in place, feeling that the redhead was glaring at Sakura._

 _(Karin growled, wanting to break Sakura's nose for slapping Naruto. What right did she have?!)_

 _Mechanically, Naruto looked back at Sakura. "What was that for?"_

 _"Grow the hell up Naruto. Hinata has been in love with you since forever!"_

 _"...so because she's in love with me, I have to love her back? Don't fuck with me Sakura-chan. I'm in love with you and I have been since forever too. Do you love me back?"_

 _"...Naruto..."_

 _"No, you don't. You're a fucking hypocrite, Sakura." With that, Naruto slammed the door in Sakura's face._

 _Damn if it didn't feel satisfying._

 _Naruto heard Karin snickering behind him which caused him to smile._

 _"You're so weird Karin. I just slammed the door on Sakura, you should be offering me pity sex."_

 _"Are you kidding me? You deserve a congratulation gift. Let's go get ramen! My treat!"_

.o0o.o0o.

Naruto grinned.

"No, my name's not Asura, it's Naruto!"

The Kyuubi frowned. "Leave then. You no longer interest me."

"I have a better idea. Let's be friends and kill people~!"

.o0o.o0o.

 _ **Chapter End.**_

.o0o.o0o.

 _ **Author's note:** ,,,,it's been a long time since my last update. Gomen. YAY this story has over 1k favs and follows. Thanks guys~! Remember to follow this story on Wattpad too. Why? Because I update earlier there and I post teasers._

 _Oh, also, before I forget: I ship canon Naruto with basically everyone. Even though I prefer some NarutoxName ships more than others. In this fic, I didn't pair Naruto up with Hinata. Why? My story. *sticks tongue out while hiding behind millions of barriers*_

 ** _Questions:_**

 ** _1\. What do you think of Naruto and Karin's hookup in this fanfic?_**

 ** _2\. What's going to happen with Naruto and Kurama?_**


	14. Naruto's ideals

:::

"There is no way I would ever lower myself to being friends with a mere human," the Kyuubi scoffed. "Now leave before I kill you."

Naruto opened her mouth to make a teasing remark, only to freeze as a surge of memories hit her.

" _I suppose I can't kill you, can I? After all, **you** die, **I** die. Your courage is impressive, little boy… Very well, as a reward for making it this far, I will loan you my chakra!_ "

" _You runt, you really are weak! You better be grateful to me… and to your beloved Fourth Hokage, who sealed me inside a twerp like you!_ "

" _ **Destroy everything** … Erase everything that hurts you… Entrust your heart to me… I will save you from your pain…_"

" _You don't have what it takes to control my power! You're nothing more than a mere fragment of **my** hatred!_"

" _Are you stupid!? I am the Nine-Tails! I haven't fallen so far that a little child can influence me! I am hatred incarnate!_ "

" _Naruto… If you really want to do something for us… then do what you've always done… Prove it to us with your actions! **That's who you are!**_ "

" _Sorry but… this guy doesn't suit your words. The Fourth Hokage entrusted me to Naruto… We became friends and now he's able to use my chakra! The Fourth sealed me into Naruto… **to take you down!**_ "

Naruto's vision was blurry as she stared at the Kyuubi.

But, the creature in front of her was much more than a source of entertainment. He was one of her friends.

She knew him.

"Kurama," she croaked out, absently realizing that she was crying.

Kurama's eyes snapped towards her in a reassessing manner. "How?"

Naruto wiped away her tears, inwardly cursing herself. She wasn't going to go soft now. So what if she found something that linked her to her past? So what if she couldn't ignore the warm feeling in her heart as she looked at Kurama?

It didn't change anything.

It couldn't change anything.

Could it?

"Human," Kurama growled, earning her attention. "How do you know my name?"

"Because we're friends," the words spilled out of Naruto's mouth without hesitation. "But I guess only I remember...ish."

"We are not friends."

"We can be."

"I hate humans."

Naruto grinned, "I can be the exception!"

Kurama glared at her. "The only exception is dead."

"Well, then you need a new exception," Naruto said in a 'duh' tone.

Kurama snorted, "You are an idiot."

Naruto simply smiled, because she really couldn't argue with that.

"I have been around for centuries. I have been hated and have hate in return. Do you really believe you, an insignificant girl, would ever be able to overcome even a fraction of my hatred?"

Naruto crossed her arms, her smile not faltering even a tiny bit. "I already have."

"Oh?"

"Otherwise, you would have 'killed' me by now, right?"

Kurama silently stared at her.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"Perhaps you aren't as much as an idiot as I thought. Or I've just gotten soft."

Naruto's smile turned into a grin. "But ya know? I consider you my friend, even if you don't. I'll keep coming over, I'll keep talking to you and laughing. Then one day, you'll suddenly consider me a friend. And you won't even realize when it happened. That's a..."

What were the words she was looking for?

A what?

What was it?

"A promise of a lifetime," she blinked at her own words.

Yet, they felt right.

Kurama didn't answer.

That was okay, because...

"I'll just prove it to you."

 **:::**

"It's the principle of the matter," Izuna insisted.

Naruto rolled her eyes, "Stop pouting."

"For once, I agree," Tobirama revealed.

At his words, Hashirama and Madara nodded in agreement.

"This is my home!"

"This is a _forest_ ," Tobirama stressed out.

"My home."

"A forest."

"So?"

Madara sighed, "She'll end up doing as she pleases anyway."

"Your home is in a forest..." Hashirama thoughtfully said, "It's...actually not a bad idea."

"See? Hashi agrees!" Naruto grinned in victory and slung her arm around Hashirama's shoulders. "Honestly, it feels like only Hashirama gets me. Then again, brilliant minds tend to think alike."

"Idiotic minds," Tobirama corrected, earning amused snorts from Madara and Izuna.

"Sometimes I wonder how we're friends."

Madara nodded in agreement, "I wonder the same thing."

"We're friends because you're obsessed with my love-life," Naruto stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha.

Madara's eyes widened in surprise. "A-am not! I only pity the fool who would end up with _you_."

"Now that I think about it, I recall Naruto telling me about how she once kissed Tobirama...but I wasn't really paying attention since we were in the middle of a spar," Izuna mused aloud.

The two Uchiha brothers turned to look at Tobirama.

"It was non-consensual."

"Ah, that explains it..."

Izune promptly winced as Naruto kicked him.

"Anyone would be _lucky_ to date me!" Naruto insisted. "Right Hashi?"

"Konoha!" Hashirama exclaimed, causing everyone to look at him.

"Besides, who said I even like guys?" Naruto went back on topic.

Hashirama had a smile widening on his face. "We can build a-"

"You like girls?" Madara coughed out, surprised.

"And guys," Naruto proudly added.

"You like both?" Tobirama raised an eyebrow in interest.

"We can build-"

"I have never seen two girls together before," Izuna thoughtfully cut in.

"I've been with girls before."

Madara, Tobirama and Izuna were staring at Naruto in interest now. "How would that work?" Tobirama was the one who asked what the three of them were thinking.

"We can-"

"You mean the dating part or the intercourse part?"

"I am honestly surprised that you even know what intercourse means," Madara quietly admitted. "But he was talking about the dating part."

"Yes, would it not be a social stigma?" Tobirama asked.

"Social stigma?"

"It means disapproved by the majority," Izuna explained. "For example, the majority of the Uchiha clan disapproves of marrying outsiders."

"As do the Senju, but with the exception of the Uzumaki clan," Tobirama added.

"That's stupid if you ask me. You're allowed to marry the person you love, fuck what everyone else thinks." Naruto didn't notice the surprised looks she was receiving from the guys as she huffed. "I'll just beat up anyone that has something to say about it."

"Perhaps, violence really is the only thing you know," Madara was the first to say, smirking.

"Do you really believe that?" Izuna asked, earning their attention.

"Yes, I do," Naruto said without hesitation. "Hashirama, Madara and I are going to build a village where stuff like same-sex relationships, threesomes or outside of clan marriages will be normal."

 _'It'll be fun...until...I...'_

Izuna smiled at that. "You are truly unique, Naruto."

Naruto sheepishly smiled.

"What village?" Tobirama quickly asked, interrupting the moment.

"Konoha!" Hashirama exclaimed, finally able to say what he had been trying to say. "A village hidden in the leaves. Konohagakure."

Madara and Naruto both stepped back as Tobirama and Izuna approached a suddenly nervous looking Hashirama. The two were wearing tranquil looks that were littered with lethal curiosity.

"Konoha, huh," Naruto mumbled while blankly staring at the scene.

"Creative," Madara sarcastically replied, looking at Naruto who snorted in amusement.

Noticing his look, she turned to look at him. "Is there something on my face?"

"For the record, you don't deserve just _any_ guy."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as Madara leaned in closer to her. He had gotten taller than her. Since when? It's barely even been a year. Her eyes relaxed as he simply poked her on her forehead.

"Naru-chan, Madara, save me!" Hashirama cried, barreling into her and Madara.

Naruto, despite being caught off guard, still managed to steady her boys and herself.

"What the heck Hashi?!" Naruto yelled, despite not letting them go.

"Namikaze, I would advice you leave my brother to his fate.."

Naruto looked towards Tobirama and Izuna, who were both approaching Hashirama with murderous intent.

"Did they not agree to your stupid peace village plan?"

"They were pissed that I somehow didn't get the chance to mention it to them in the past months."

"Idiot," Madara managed, tightening his hold on both Naruto and Hashirama.

"You didn't mention it either," Hashirama weakly threw back, "If I'm going down, you two are coming with me."

Tobirama and Izuna pounced.

But, before they could touch the trio, Naruto quickly transported them away by using the body flicker technique. Tobirama would later blackmail her into teaching him the technique.


End file.
